Ptitim with vegetables
Toasted pearl couscous with vegetables
Ptitim: Israeli toasted pearl couscous with courgette, peppers and peas
Ptitim was invented in Israel in the 1950s, when rice was scarce and the Osem factory was asked to make a wheat substitute; the little toasted pasta pearls soon became the dish every Israeli child grew up on. In homes from Haifa to Be'er Sheva it is cooked like a pilaf, first toasted in oil until nutty, then simmered in stock until plump and chewy. This version folds in courgette, red pepper and peas for a quick weeknight dinner or lunchbox side. Chef's tip: toast the dry ptitim until it smells like popcorn and turns light gold; it gives a much nuttier flavour than boiling it like pasta.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 cups vegetable stockhot
- 1 red pepperdiced
- 1 courgettediced
- 3 ½ oz frozen peas
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 2: Add 9 oz ptitim (Israeli pearl couscous) and stir for 3 minutes until most pearls are light golden and smell toasty. Stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika for a few seconds.
3 minStep 3: Pour in 2 cups vegetable stock (it will hiss), add 1 red pepper and 1 courgette, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 8 minutes.
8 minStep 4: Stir in 3 ½ oz frozen peas and ½ tsp salt, cover and cook 2 minutes more, until the stock is absorbed and the ptitim is plump and tender with a slight chew. Common mistake: too much liquid and too long a simmer, which turns ptitim into sticky porridge; it should stay in separate pearls.
2 minStep 5: Fluff with a fork, stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ptitim with vegetables take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 8 minutes to prepare and 17 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani
Hyderabad's biryani grew up in the kitchens of the Nizams, and the kacchi style is its proudest form: the chicken goes into the pot raw, in a thick yogurt, mint and fried-onion marinade, and cooks only in the steam trapped under part-cooked basmati. In the old city it is wedding and Eid food, ordered in huge copper deghs, and at home it's the Sunday showpiece, served with mirchi ka salan and a cooling raita. Because the meat cooks without being stirred, small bone-in thigh and drumstick pieces work best. Chef's tip: marinate overnight in the fridge — the yogurt tenderises the chicken and the flavours go right to the bone.
Indian
Khao kluk kapiShrimp paste rice
Everything on this central Thai plate is arranged in little heaps around a mound of rice tossed with garlic and fermented shrimp paste: sticky caramelised pork (moo wan), threads of sour green mango, shallots, chillies, sliced long beans, crisp dried shrimp and ribbons of thin omelette. You mix a bit of each into every spoonful, so salty, sweet, sour and hot arrive together. It's a favourite at Bangkok's curry-and-rice shops and a clever way to use up yesterday's rice at home; lime wedges and cucumber cool it down. Chef's tip: use day-old jasmine rice straight from the fridge, because freshly cooked rice clumps and smears the shrimp paste instead of coating each grain.
Thai
Masala ugaliSpiced maize meal porridge
Ugali, East Africa's staple of maize meal cooked into a stiff porridge, given a lift with toasted cumin, butter, fresh coriander and green chilli. Stir it hard and keep it soft. Serve hot with sukumawiki or any stew.