I love making couscous! there's the fine couscous that goes great with vegetable Moroccan soup and there's Pearl Couscous that goes great as a side dish with almost any meal or even on it's own!
Pearl Couscous (also called 'Ptitim') is made from wheat, flour and semolina and has a ball-like shape and look like small pearls. It has a slight chewy texture and since it is toasted it even has a slight savory flavor.
Since pearl couscous is basically a small ball shaped pasta, it can be as an alternative to pasta dishes. It can be used as a pasta, rice or any other whole grain. You can also add it as a base for a cold pasta salad, or as a side dish with dinner.
When cooking I like to give it a bit of flavor and add a few extra tastes to it. You can give it your own touch by adding spices, vegetables and sauces to your liking.
Tip: Cook a large batch early in the week and add it to your meal plans for several days later!
SO LETS START COOKING!!
Couscous Pearls - Recipe
@Cooknbake:
Ingredients:
250gr Couscous Gourmet Pearl
2 large onions, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 – 2½ cups of water
3 tablespoons oil
For garnish: (optional)
Parsley, finely chopped
Method:
1.Into a non-stick pot, over medium heat, add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
2.Add the couscous pearls and mix together with the onions for 3-4 minutes.
3.Add tomato paste, salt pepper and mix together.
4.Pour the water and oil and bring to a simmer.
5.Cover the pot and cook for 12-15 minutes on low-medium heat, while stirring occasionally.
*Add a little boiling water from a kettle if a bit dry.
When it’s cooked the water would have been absorbed, leaving small beautiful pearl-like balls. (Make sure you do not add too much water, otherwise they will stick together).
6.Stir in the parsley, serve and ENJOY!
Serve hot with any dish and salad!
Or even on its own!
Hope you liked!
Simple Recipes @Cooknbake :)
Did you know....
Ptitim was “invented” in 1953, in Israel. Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, asked one of the founders of the Osem food company, to quickly devise a wheat-based substitute to rice. The company took up the challenge and developed ptitim, which is made of hard wheat flour and toasted in an oven.
The product was instantly a success, after which ptitim made in the shape of small, dense balls (which the company termed "couscous") was added to the original rice-shaped ptitim. Source
You can check out a few of my recent simple recipe ideas here:
Meal Planner#1: Sweet-peas-in-tomato-sauce-with-white-rice-on-the-side
Meal Planner#2: Healthy Mediterranean Style Breakfast!
Meal Planner#3: Golden Crispy Chicken Schnitzel
and to go on the side:
-5 simple salad ideas and recipes for your meal
-4 ways to roast your veggie bites
More simple recipes to come! So stay tuned :)
-All pictures are mine and original, taken on my Galaxy S7 phone-
Have a great week!
Lots and lots of Love! ❤️
