Recipe Cooked , Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:10 mins CookTime:10 mins Cuisine:Indian
Table of Contents⇓ RecipeCard⇓
Couscous is a grain, formed into small granules made from crushed durum wheat semolina. It is a North African dish traditionally served along with stew. But here, I have experimented with couscous in an Indian style.
This whole platter of couscous upma / savoury meal, can be eaten during anytime of the day, as its so nutritious & tasty.
I do pack this quick, Vegan meal for my kids lunch box as well. My kids loved having it with their fruit as shown in the pic.
Just note down, Couscous is NOT GLUTEN FREE, so this dish is NOT SUITABLE for CELIAC diet.
Table of Contents:
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Possible Alterations for the recipe, ‘Couscous Upma / Couscous Savoury Veggie Meal’:
Under the ‘Ingredients for tempering’, just add the ingredients whichever you have (among the list given).
To use fresh veggies: I have used frozen vegetables, if you prefer to use fresh veggies chop them very finely and let them be just half cooked before adding the couscous.
Soaking Alternatives: Instead of soaking the couscous in hot boiling water, you can even soak it in hot veggie broth.
Pre-boiling options: Yes, you can pre-boil the couscous and store it in fridge in an air-tight container, up to 4 days before use.
Vegetables to use: You can add any vegetables of your choice. Other suitable vegetables for this recipe are Broccoli, Cauliflower, Pink Radish, Sweet Corn, Green Peas and Cabbage.
Whole Food Plant Based options: You can avoid the tempering part in case you want to have it as a salad. Just add boiled mixed veggies to the soaked couscous and season it as per your taste. Mix up everything thoroughly.
Health Benefits of ‘Couscous Upma / Couscous Savoury Indian Meal’:
Couscous is sugar and fat-free. It has carbohydrates and is rich in fibre but has lesser calories than white and brown rice. Its is rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, selenium, potassium, magnesium, fol-ate among others.
With all these nutrients, it will strengthen your bones, muscles, and immune system. Eating couscous can also help improve your blood circulation.
Couscous is NOT GLUTEN FREE, so this dish is NOT SUITABLE for CELIAC diet.
To conclude, this recipe is suitable for Plant Based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Diabetic friendly, Oil-free diet, Kids Friendly, Low Calorie diets. Hence adding this, to my collection of Weight Loss Food / Low Carb Recipes
Other recipes from my blog:
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned in the end.
Breakfast Recipes Collection⇒ Breakfast / Tiffin
Chutneys / dips recipes collection⇒ Chutney / Pachchadi / Dip
Low Calories Recipes collection⇒ Weight Loss Food / Low Carb Recipes
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Ingredients:
- Couscous – 1 large cup / bowl
- Hot Boiling Water – 2 large cups / bowls
- Cooking Oil – 3 tablespoons
- Dry Red Chillies – 2
- Fresh Ginger – 1 inch piece
- Fresh Green Chillies – 5 (medium size)
- Curry Leaves – 5 to 6
- Onion – 1 large
- Mixed Vegetables(chopped) – ½ of large cup / bowl
- Salt – 2 teaspoons
- Fresh Coriander Leaves – a handful
Ingredients for Tempering:
- Mustard seeds / Aavalu – ¼ teaspoon
- Jeera / Cumin Seeds – ½ teaspoon
- Turmeric powder / Pasupu – ¼ teaspoon
- Sesame seeds / Nuvvulu – ½ teaspoon (optional)
- Chana dal / Split Yellow gram dal – ½ teaspoon (optional)
- Urad dal / Minapappu / Split Black gram – 1 teaspoon (optional)
Special Ingredients:
- Curry Leaves
- Ginger
- Green Chillies
Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Couscous Upma / Indian style Couscous Savoury Meal’:
Prep Work:
First, take the Couscous into a large-wide bowl and add the hot-boiling water into it.
Close it with lid and set it aside for 10 mins. Let the water be absorbed by the couscous.
Slit the green chillies length wise, finely chop the fresh coriander leaves, onions, ginger piece.
Cooking:
Put a medium sized pan on stove top over medium flame. Add the oil and heat it.
Then, add the ‘Ingredients for tempering’. Sauté them until they turn golden brown.
Now, add the dry red chillies, curry leaves and slit green chillies.
After a minute, add all the ginger and onion pieces. Stir fry the onions and let them become transparent.
Next, add the mixed vegetables and let them cook for 2-3 mins.
When the vegetables are cooked, transfer the couscous (from the bowl) to the pan and add salt too.
Reduce the flame to lowest possible, combine everything gently and let it be on stove top for about 4-5 mins.
Switch the flame off, add the chopped coriander leaves, give a mix and serve. Done!!
Tips & Storage:
- When the couscous is put in hot boiling water for just 8-10 mins. It actually absorbs all the liquid and fluffs up.
- While soaking the couscous, don’t bother if you have added a bit less/more water, either way it would work.
- Its going to absorb all the water and gets swollen/cooked.
- Do no use cold water to soak the couscous, it would spoil them.
- Adjust the salt and spice as per your taste.
- After adding the couscous to the pan, keep mixing everything, just be careful that it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Storage: This dish is suitable for storage only up to 1 day at room temperature. But, stays good up to 2 days when stored in fridge in an air-tight container. After which the couscous might turn gooey.
Result:
- Couscous itself has a very subtle sweetness in it. In addition the veggies we used makes it very tasty. The tempering provides the required fragrant aroma.
- On the whole, this, Couscous Upma / Savoury Meal, turned out thoroughly palatable.
- I truly love to have it as it is, while you can have it with any side or dressing or chutney or dip.
- Check my chutneys/dips here⇒ Chutney / Pachchadi / Dip
Recipe Card & Print:
Plant Based Couscous Savoury Meal / Couscous Upma / Indian Breakfast with Couscous
Equipment
- Wide Mixing Bowl
- Frying pan (for stove-top method)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Couscous
- 2 cups Hot Boiling Water
- 3 tablespoons Cooking Oil – 3 tablespoons
- 2 count Dry Red Chillies – 2
- 1 inch piece Fresh Ginger
- 5 count Fresh Green Chillies (medium size)
- 5 to 6 count Curry Leaves
- 1 large Onion – 1 large
- ½ cup Mixed Vegetables (chopped) (fresh / frozen)
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander Leaves
Ingredients for Tempering:
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds / Aavalu
- ½ teaspoon Jeera / Cumin Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder / Pasupu
- ½ teaspoon Sesame seeds / Nuvvulu (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Chana dal / Split Yellow gram dal (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal / Minapappu / Split Black gram (optional)
Instructions
PREP WORK:
- First, take the Couscous into a large-wide bowl and add the hot-boiling water into it. Close it with lid and set it aside for 10 mins. Let the water be absorbed by the couscous. Slit the green chillies length wise, finely chop the fresh coriander leaves, onions and ginger piece.
COOKING:
- Put a medium sized pan on stove top under medium flame. Add the oil and heat it. Then, add the ‘Ingredients for tempering’. Saute them until they turn golden brown. Now, add the dry red chillies,curry leaves and slit green chillies.
- After a minute, add all the ginger and onion pieces. Stir fry the onions and let them become transparent. Next,add the mixed vegetables and let them cook for 2-3 mins.
- When the vegetables are cooked enough, transfer all of the couscous (from the bowl) to the pan and add salt too. The water would be completely absorbed by the couscous within 10 mins.
- Reduce the flame to lowest possible,combine everything gently and let it be on stove top for about 4-5 mins.
- Switch the flame off, add the chopped coriander leaves, give a mix and serve. Done!!
Notes
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Nice recipe
Thank you! 🙂