Ptitim: what is it and how to prepare it

History of pitima roots

Everyone, of course, roughly knows the history of the creation of the State of Israel. In the middle of the last century, a people who had the most ancient history, existing since the creation of Adam and Eve, acquired statehood, received lands, and formed one of the youngest and most dynamically developing young states in the world. It appeared on the world map after the end of World War II, and the bulk of its population were Jewish immigrants from the Maghreb countries. The main task of the government of the young state was to provide the population with a roof over their heads and food. And if we managed to cope with the first task, the second turned out to be more difficult.

The fact is that the majority of the immigrants were not used to eating bread; they ate rice for food, and since Israel is not a rice country at all, an acute shortage of this important product for the population began to be felt, even austerity measures did not help. Then the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, puzzled food industry scientists to come up with a product that could replace scarce rice and couscous.

And in 1949, a solution was found - food technologist Avigar Proper invented a new “cereal” - ptitim. It was made from water and durum wheat flour, and then fried, producing small balls that tasted like falfelah to some, dumplings smaller than a pea, and to others bulgur. And ptitim has since been called “Ben-Gurion’s rice.” The people of Israel fell in love with this new product, learned to cook delicious dishes from it, and later passed on the recipes for new and delicious dishes to the whole world.

Ptitim (Israeli couscous) and what to eat it with

It’s not often in the history of world cuisine that new products are invented. As a rule, all inventions were made a long time ago, even if modern humanity is just “discovering” them. For example, quinoa, which is so fashionable now, was part of the diet of the ancient Incas, although it appeared in the diet of Europe and North America only a few years ago. Compared to quinoa, the so-called Israeli couscous, or ptitim, is, firstly, a product of human hands, and secondly, its history goes back only about six decades.

I first read about Israeli couscous on the blog of Nina Fomina, who lives in Chicago, and complained that we couldn’t find anything like it here. After some time, when I found myself in Tel Aviv, I saw Ptiti with my own eyes. But all the wealth of Middle Eastern products clearly does not fit in one suitcase; Israeli couscous was left at home. And then I unexpectedly saw him in a Moscow supermarket. To celebrate, I immediately took several packages.

So, what is ptitim? This is a rather ingenious invention of the Israelis, who in the fifties of the last century came up with a way to make small balls from pasta that resemble couscous in appearance. Those times in the country were quite meager, but, as they say, the need for invention is cunning. Over the years, the Israelis, as Zhanna Gur writes, began to treat ptitim quite ironically and even came up with the nickname “Ben-Gurion’s rice” (rice was unaffordable for the average person during the reign of the first Israeli prime minister). Nowadays, ptitim is included in the diet of Israeli kindergartens. Surprisingly, such an unpretentious thing as Israeli couscous has become a fashionable ingredient in expensive restaurants in Europe and the USA - just as happened with the fashion for quinoa.

I made a salad with ptitim, and I think that this “couscous” will take root in the family kitchen. I’m going to introduce it to my grandchildren in the near future, who really love real couscous, bulgur and quinoa, which means they should also appreciate the cute ptitim balls.

From the housewife's point of view, Israeli couscous is convenient because the balls do not get soft (they are specially fried during production), even if you forget about them during the cooking process. I don’t think, however, that it’s worth subjecting them to a particularly lengthy test.

Next time I’ll try to make a hot dish from ptitim.
This time I missed the liquid sauce, it was just asking for it. What you need:
Photos

Categories

Side dishRecipesSaladsIsraeli couscousPtitimIsrael

Preparation

1. To get a delicious poultry with chicken, let's prepare the following products.
   Let's collect the ingredients from the list
2. Free the onions from the husks, peel them, and chop them thinly.
   Peel and finely chop the onion
3. Peel the garlic cloves and cut into thin strips.
   Thinly slice the garlic
4. Pour half the sunflower oil into a heated frying pan, add chopped garlic, fry it for a few minutes.
   Fry the chopped garlic for a few minutes in a heated frying pan.
5. Place chopped onion in a frying pan, add salt and spices - turmeric and paprika, mix everything.
   Add chopped onion to the garlic, add spices
6. Rinse the chicken breast under running water and cut into thin strips.
   Thinly slice chicken breast into strips
7. Place the poultry into the fried onion, do not stir.
   Place the poultry in a frying pan with onions
8. Pour boiling water over the pan and tightly close the pan with a lid, set the burner to low and leave to simmer for 25 minutes.
   Pour boiling water over the bird and leave to simmer for 25 minutes
9. In another frying pan, heat the second half of the sunflower oil and add the chopped chicken breast.
   Fry the chicken until fully cooked, remembering to add salt and pepper at the very end. Fry the chopped chicken breast in another pan
10. Let's form the finished dish - place the poultry in the middle of the serving plate, add the fried chicken breast on top.
    Place poultry and fried breast on a serving plate, the dish is ready
11. Another option for preparing ptitim is also possible, and we will consider it now.
    Ptitim is usually sold in portioned cooking bags. To prepare it, pour water into a pan and add salt to it. To boil a portioned bag of ptitim, pour water and add salt to it
12. When the water boils, put a bag of ptitim into it, cover with a lid and boil for 15 minutes.
    Place the ptitim in boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.
13. Place the finished poultry on a plate and add fried chicken breast on top.
    If desired, ready-made dishes can be decorated with finely chopped green onions and served. We will complement the boiled poultry with fried chicken. Everything is ready, you can invite us to the table
14. Bon appetit!
    Bon appetit!

Recipe 2: bird pasta with vegetables and chicken

He is very popular in Israel and the USA, here many dishes are prepared from ptitim, in our country he is an overseas stranger, however, when you get to know him closely, you understand that something unusual still exists in the world. At the first glance, you will want to cook it, and our step-by-step photos of preparing ptitim will help you understand the “subtleties of translation”, and you will enjoy a delicious and healthy dish.

• Ptitim – 400 grams
• Chicken breast – 300 grams
• Onion - 100 grams
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves
• Vegetable oil - 100 grams
• Ground turmeric – 20 grams
• Paprika - 20 grams
• Allspice black pepper – 10 grams
• Salt - 30 grams
• Green onions (for decoration) - 1-2 feathers

Free the onions from the husks, peel them, and chop them thinly.

Peel the garlic cloves and cut into thin strips.

Pour half the sunflower oil into a heated frying pan, add chopped garlic, fry it for a few minutes.

Place chopped onion in a frying pan, add salt and spices - turmeric and paprika, mix everything.

Rinse the chicken breast under running water and cut into thin strips.

Place the poultry into the fried onion, do not stir.

Pour boiling water over the pan and tightly close the pan with a lid, set the burner to low and leave to simmer for 25 minutes.

In another frying pan, heat the second half of the sunflower oil and add the chopped chicken breast. Fry the chicken until fully cooked, remembering to add salt and pepper at the very end.

Let's form the finished dish - place the poultry in the middle of the serving plate, add the fried chicken breast on top.

Another option for preparing ptitim is also possible, and we will consider it now. Ptitim is usually sold in portioned cooking bags. To prepare it, pour water into a pan and add salt to it.

When the water boils, put a bag of ptitim into it, cover with a lid and boil for 15 minutes.

Place the finished poultry on a plate and add fried chicken breast on top. If desired, ready-made dishes can be decorated with finely chopped green onions and served.

Ptitim couscous with chicken and pine nuts. Step-by-step preparation at home

1. Place a pan with 700-800 ml. water or chicken broth on the fire. Add 1-2 teaspoons of salt and close the lid. Finely chop the onion and garlic.
   Place the frying pan on high flame.

   Cut half a stick of butter, transfer it to a frying pan and add 2 tbsp. spoons of olive or sunflower oil.

2. Send the onions and garlic to fry. After 5 minutes, when the onions change color a little, add Israeli couscous to the pan.
   Mix thoroughly. Add a teaspoon of salt and fry for another 5-10 minutes
3. At this time, cut the chicken fillet, cutting it lengthwise into 2 halves, and, if desired, beat it (you can skip it) with a wooden hammer or improvised means. I used a plastic bag and a rolling pin.
   You should beat the chicken without much effort and only in thick pieces, as the chicken meat may tear. And it is so tender. Then cut the chicken into medium pieces
4. Carefully transfer the fried couscous with onions and garlic into boiling water in a saucepan and cover with a lid. The flame under the saucepan should be reduced to a minimum.
   Cook until the liquid is completely absorbed for 15-25 minutes.

   Ptitim must be stirred periodically; for this it is advisable to use a fork or spatula with holes.

5. Prepare the breading mixture for the chicken. Add a teaspoon of salt and a little pepper to the breadcrumbs.
   If desired, you can add a little greenery. Carefully roll the fillet pieces in breadcrumbs.
6. Place the frying pan over high heat. Fry the chicken in olive or sunflower oil for 15-20 minutes until desired crispiness. Stir frequently. If the breadcrumbs or chicken burn, add a little more oil and reduce heat.
   Do not cover with a lid! Some of the batter will come off due to the moisture that appears.

   At this time, do not coarsely chop fresh parsley or other herbs.

7. Place a dry frying pan over high heat and fry the pine nuts for 2-5 minutes until golden brown, stirring them constantly. Check if the couscous (ptitim) has absorbed all the moisture.
   Turn off the flame under the pan. Add pine nuts, herbs, 2-3 pinches of cinnamon and mix thoroughly.
8. Place a portion of the prepared couscous on a plate, add pieces of chicken and a small amount of herbs. Couscous (Ptitim) with chicken and pine nuts is ready.
   Buon appetito!

Ptitim pasta with seafood according to a simple step-by-step recipe with photos

2 servings

30-45 minutes

120 kcal

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You will understand how to prepare the unusual ptitim pasta in ground tomato sauce. In the detailed recipe with photos you will see all the stages of preparing the dish. Learn how to clean and cut seafood: shrimp, mussels, squid. Useful tips to help you select and store fresh produce. Using the chef's recommendations, you will learn how to cook ptitim pasta and prepare a delicious dish for the holiday table.

Kitchen appliances and utensils: a heavy-bottomed frying pan with a lid, a saucepan, a deep bowl, a cutting board, a kitchen knife, a vegetable brush or metal sponge, a grater, a kitchen scale, a measuring cup.

Step-by-step preparation

How to cook poultry

• Boil 300 ml of water in a saucepan. Add 1 pinch of table salt.
• Pour 150 grams of ptitim paste into boiling salted water and stir. Reduce heat to low.
• Cook the ptitim over low heat, covered, for about 15-20 minutes.
• Place the finished pasta on a sieve.

How to prepare seafood

• If the mussels are fresh (7-8 pieces), put them in a container with cold water for 25-30 minutes to remove sand. Wash the surface of the shellfish well under running water, removing any build-up with a brush, metal sponge or knife (scraping). There should be no cracks or chips on the sinks, and the doors should be closed. In the case of frozen shellfish, place them in a bag, place them in a container with cold water, press down with a weight (not too heavy so that the shells do not crack). After 2-4 hours, process as a fresh product.
• Remove the stems from the mussels that attach them to the surfaces.
• Just before cooking, carefully open the doors with a knife. If you need to keep the mussels for an hour or two, place them in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
• Wash the shrimp (7-8 pieces) well under running water, tear off the head (if any). Peel off the shell, starting from the wide side, moving towards the tail.
• Tear off the tail. Don't throw away the shrimp shells; they can be used to make a delicious broth or make shrimp oil for sauce.
• Remove the intestines by making a cut with a sharp knife along the outside of the body about a third of the way.
• Place the squid (100-150 grams) in boiling water (500 ml), cook, stirring, for 7-10 seconds (no longer).
• Place the carcass in a bowl of cold water and rinse.

How to make sauce

1. Heat a thick-bottomed frying pan over high heat. Add 40 ml olive oil.
2. Place the prepared mussels (7-8 pieces) into the heated oil.
3. Add peeled shrimp (7-8 pieces), octopus tentacle cut into pieces (150 g), squid cut into rings (150 g). Fry for 4-5 minutes, stirring.
4. Pour 50 ml of dry white wine into the pan and stir.
5. Add 30 grams of leek, cut into rings.
6. Add finely chopped ground tomatoes without skin (150 grams). You can finely chop the tomatoes with a knife or grate them on a coarse grater, having washed the vegetables in advance.
7. Pour 100 ml of clear chicken broth, stir the contents of the pan.
8. Add 1 pinch each of salt, sugar and ground black pepper. Stir.

Assembling the dish

1. After 1 minute, add the boiled ptitim pasta to the pan.
2. Simmer the dish over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 4-5 minutes.
3. When serving, place the mussels on top and garnish the dish with green basil leaves.

Ptitim pasta is similar to couscous, which is why it is often called Israeli couscous. In contrast, pasta is made from durum wheat. Pasta has different shapes: grains of rice, circles, drops, shells, rings, stars and other shapes.

Video recipe

Watch how this delicious dish is prepared. A video from the chef of one of the best restaurants in St. Petersburg shows the step-by-step technology of ptitim pasta with seafood in ground tomato sauce.

After studying the recipe and video, you too can prepare this non-trivial dish. How do you cook seafood?

Recipe 6 ptitim with zucchini and basil

Dark green crispy zucchini, white juicy onions, strong tomatoes and fragrant leaves of purple basil - a rainbow of colors, aromas and tastes! Sunny balls of Israeli couscous mixed with colorful seasonal vegetables.

zucchini or young zucchini – 1 pc. small ripe tomato – 1 pc. large white/red onion – 1 pc. fresh purple basil + green olive oil – 1-2 tbsp. l. garlic and chili – optional salt + ground pepper – a pinch Israeli couscous “Ptitim” – 100 g.

For the salad, you need to boil wheat grits in a slow cooker or on the stove in a saucepan. I recommend choosing large Israeli couscous Ptitim.

Wash and peel all vegetables as needed. Cut the tomato in half, remove the tomato pulp and juice with a spoon, and then cut into slices or cubes. Turn zucchini or young zucchini into cubes/circles - as you like. Finely chop the onion, crush the garlic with a knife or squeeze through a garlic press.

First add onion (+ garlic if desired) and zucchini to a hot frying pan with oil and fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add tomatoes and herbs. Zucchini, like eggplants, love oil, so during the cooking process you can sprinkle the ingredients with olive/sunflower oil once or twice.

The total heat treatment time for zucchini and vegetables is no more than 10 minutes. Young zucchini has thin skin and tender flesh that cooks quickly. At the end of frying, sprinkle the vegetables with salt and ground pepper (or fresh chili pepper rings).

Place the prepared Israeli couscous into portioned plates and top with a generous portion of fried zucchini with onions, tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle the warm appetizer salad with lemon juice and good quality olive oil.

It is recommended to mix all the salad ingredients on your plate. Now you can enjoy the taste of a simple appetizer in which peas of Israeli couscous are perfectly combined with pieces of zucchini, tomato and basil leaves. Enjoy your meal!

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Recipe 1, step by step poultry with chicken breast

Ptitim looks like cereal, and you can’t immediately tell what it is based on its taste. But despite its appearance, it is still pasta. They can be similar to rice, Bulgur, sometimes they are made in the form of stars, and no matter how they look, the taste of ptitim is preserved. Jewish housewives prepare this dish in various variations - stewed with vegetables and spices, cooked with chicken, served as a side dish. The composition of ptitim is simple and at the same time very healthy - it is made using special technologies from purified water and durum wheat flour; this pasta product does not contain any dyes or flavoring additives. In addition, even by touch it is difficult to determine what you have in your hands.

• couscous - 150g;
• chicken broth - 300 ml;
• chicken breast - 1 pc.;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil - for frying;
• butter - 30 g;
• salt - to taste;
• ground white pepper - to taste

Cut the chicken breast into small pieces (with skin or not - as you like),

set to fry in vegetable oil over fairly high heat.

The main task is not to dry out the breast; it will then simmer a little more.

At this time, finely chop the onion.

Remove the fried breast from the pan,

and pour the chopped onion right there.

Fry until golden brown and cooked through.

At this point, you can also add grated carrots, but I’m cooking without them now, since my youngest “doesn’t like carrots” this week (mommies will understand).

When the onion is ready, add the ptitim directly to it in the pan,

and warm it up a little. 2-3 minutes will be enough. Our task is to ensure that every “grain” is enveloped in oil. I didn't have enough butter, so I added a small piece of butter, I thought it would be even tastier.

Pour in chicken broth or just water and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.

The total cooking time for ptitim is about 20 minutes. It should absorb all the liquid.

When half of the liquid is absorbed and our “grains” appear on the surface,

add salt, ground white pepper (black will do just fine), and our chicken breast.

Mix again and leave to simmer until done.

When there is no liquid left in the frying pan (or saucepan), but the ptitim will be slightly moist, as if in a sauce,

turn off the stove, cover with a lid and leave for 10-15 minutes.

Place on plates and sprinkle with herbs.

Ptitim, by the way, does not stick together, even if you have to reheat the dish. The taste is very delicate, literally saturated with the smells and taste of chicken.

Recipe for poultry with broth and chicken breast

Ingredients:

• ptitim - 200 g;
• chicken broth - 400 ml;
• chicken breast - 1 pc.;
• onions - 2 pcs.;
• vegetable oil - for frying;
• butter - 40 gr.;
• salt - your choice;
• ground white pepper - your choice.

Cooking method:

• Cut the meat into small pieces. Leave the skin on or remove it - it's up to you.
• Fry small pieces of meat with vegetable oil over high heat. But don't let the meat become too dry. You will need to put it out later.
• Cut the onion into small pieces.
• After the meat is fried, remove it from the pan and throw in the previously chopped onion.
• You need to fry the onion until its color turns golden.
• After the color changes, you can also add grated carrots to the pan.
• Once the carrots and onions are ready, add the ptitim to the pan. It is important that every grain is saturated with oil, but since this is difficult to do with vegetable oil, you can add butter.
• After soaking the cereal in oil, fill the frying pan with chicken broth, or, in extreme cases, water.
• Stir the resulting dish periodically for 20 minutes. It is important that the bird absorbs the broth
• When the grains become visible, add salt, pepper and meat.
• After the broth is completely absorbed, turn off the heat and leave the dish on the stove, covering it with a lid. Wait 10-15 minutes.
• Sprinkle the bird with herbs and get ready to eat it.

Benefits of ptitim

Due to the high content of B vitamins, regular consumption of the product increases vitality. It has a beneficial effect on the immune system, helps fight depressed mood, chronic fatigue, and depression. Fights insomnia.

What is important is that it normalizes the water-salt balance. Consuming ptitim helps strengthen the heart muscle and also improve brain activity.

If you want to lose weight, then you should definitely include this Israeli product in your diet, as it contains slowly digesting carbohydrates, which gives you a feeling of fullness for a long time. Also lowers blood cholesterol levels.

It has a very good effect on women's health, as it helps produce substances that increase the level of female sex hormones. Improves the condition of hair and skin. Unlike other cereals and pasta, ptitim helps the body absorb calcium and prevents the formation of kidney stones. It is very useful for women during pregnancy, as it contains nucleic acids that help the embryo develop normally.

What harm can regular use of ptitim cause to the body? If you have an allergy to wheat products, consuming this product may be dangerous. It is not recommended for people with thyroid problems.

Also, those who have noticed an increase in blood sugar should treat ptitim with caution.

Benefits of ptitima paste

In moderate quantities, ptitim has a beneficial effect on the human body:

• increases overall tone;
• strengthens the muscular system due to the content of B vitamins;
• increases immunity and protects against viruses and infections;
• helps with insomnia, depression and tendency to depression;
• normalizes the water-salt balance of the body;
• strengthens the cardiac system and improves brain activity;
• reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and increases the elasticity of blood vessels;
• improves the absorption of calcium supplied with food;
• saturates well and regulates metabolic processes and appetite;
• promotes the production of female sex hormones and improves the functioning of the reproductive system;
• prevents the formation of stones in the kidneys and bladder;
• improves the condition of hair and skin.

We recommend reading: What are the benefits of olives, properties and calorie content?

You can consume ptitim in small quantities while on a diet - the product eliminates the feeling of hunger for a long time. But when losing weight, you need to carefully calculate your daily calorie intake so that the nutritional paste does not have a negative effect on your figure.

Ptitim paste is useful for pregnant women as it promotes normal fetal formation

Calorie content 376 kcal.

Proteins:

12.76 g (~51 kcal)

Fats:

0.64 g (~6 kcal)
Carbohydrates:
72.43 g (~290 kcal)

Energy ratio (b|w|y): 14%|2%|77%

How to cook couscous?

First way

reminiscent of cooking rice or manti.
It is steamed
in a device that has two containers. In the lower one, chicken or other meat or vegetables are cooked, and in the upper one, with holes in the bottom, the couscous is soaked in aromatic steam.

Second way

somewhat simpler and allows you to prepare couscous using available kitchen tools. To do this, take a pan and a colander equal in diameter. Vegetable broth is boiling in a saucepan (or vegetables are boiling). Pour the couscous into a colander and cover very tightly with foil. You can make several holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. The broth boils for half an hour. During this time, you can lift the colander and pour a little broth over the couscous, and at the very end of cooking, add a fairly large amount of seasonings. As a rule, it is a mixture of herbs and aromatic spices at the discretion of the cook.

Third way

- the simplest, but inferior to the second in taste. You need to pour couscous into a heated bowl or cup, pour boiling water or broth, close tightly (for example, with foil), wrap it well in something warm and after 10 minutes you can add salt, oil and spices - the couscous is ready.

Now let’s figure out what PTITIM is!!!

Couscous Ptitim is one of Israel's original culinary contributions. Ptitim is called Israeli couscous not only because of its origin, but also for its similarity to couscous grains, because... it was designed to be similar to couscous. Just like the couscous we are used to, ptitim is made from durum wheat, but it is made using pasta technology.

PTITIM IS PASTA

Energy value (per 100 g): 360 Kcal

Nutritional value (per 100 g):

Proteins: 13.0 g

Fat: 2.0 g

Carbohydrates: 72.0

Ptitim side dish - recipe with photo

Ptitim was born in the middle of the last century. It was when the State of Israel was created after the Second World War. Basically, Israel was inhabited by Jewish immigrants who had their own culinary preferences and traditions. They were accustomed to eating rice, but in the young country this grain was not grown, and the population had to be fed with something. It was then that the first Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, instructed food industry specialists to find a replacement for popular and scarce cereals. That’s how they came up with ptitim, which was made using the technology of producing pasta from durum wheat and water. The product was completely natural and contained all the beneficial ingredients of good quality wheat; it was even nicknamed “Ben-Gurion’s rice.” At first, it looked like grains of rice, but later they began to make ptitim in the form of balls, stars, shells and other small figures, for which ptitim became very popular with children. Along with couscous and bulgur, ptitim gained its popularity and was used in the preparation of various dishes.

Subsequently, ptitim gained popularity in other countries; it is good for preparing side dishes, soups, and salads. In our stores, of course, it is not as common as in Israel, but you can buy it if you wish. I really like this little pasta, it tastes good and does not lose its attractive appearance after cooking, remains just as crumbly and does not stick together, which speaks of its quality.

Let's take everything you need and prepare a side dish of poultry, which can be served with any meat dish.

As you already understood, to cook ptitim, you need to boil it. You can do this in two ways:

1) boil like cereal in proportions 1:2, that is, one part ptitim and two parts water;

2) or like any pasta, in a large volume of water, and after complete readiness, simply drain the ptitim in a colander.

To prepare the side dish, I use the first method. To do this, pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil, then add salt and stir until the salt dissolves.

Pour the ptitim into the water, bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and cook the ptitim over low heat for about 20 minutes.

During cooking, the ptitim will increase in size, absorbing the water in which it is cooked.

When the ptitim has completely absorbed the water, it will be ready. Small balls of unusual paste will become larger and resemble eggs. Place the butter in the pan and stir until it melts. Instead of cream, you can use olive oil, this is optional.

This is how you can quickly and easily prepare an unusual ptitim as a side dish. Place it on a plate. This amount yielded two servings of side dish.

This side dish goes well with any meat dish; you can also serve poultry with mushrooms, which will also be very tasty. In principle, since ptitim refers to pasta, the same products with which pasta is prepared are suitable for it. Serve the side dish of ptitim immediately hot.

Bon appetit and good luck with your culinary experiments!

Recipe 3 how to cook ptitim step by step photos

Gastronomic invention of the mid-twentieth century. In Israel, after the mass repatriation of Maghreb Jews, the issue of food became acute. Those who arrived from Africa to the Promised Land were accustomed to eating couscous and rice in their homeland. The young Jewish state could not provide them with such luxury. Then the Prime Minister of Israel gave a strict order: to invent something that could replace wheat and rice for Moroccan Jews. This is how ptitim was invented - Israeli couscous, which was quickly popularly called Ben-Gurion's rice. What is it based on - yes, ordinary pasta, small pasta, which can be safely used for salads, and for side dishes, and for first courses.

Ptitim means “dumplings”; this is perhaps one of the finest types of pasta. Recently, in Russian supermarkets, Israeli couscous can be bought quite freely and at a fairly low price.

• Ptitim 350 grams
• Onion 1 piece
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Mixture 1 tbsp
• Ground paprika pinch
• Salt to taste
• Butter 20 grams
• Olive oil 2 tbsp
• Fresh mint for serving

Boil the Israeli couscous according to the instructions on the package: in a large amount of boiling salted water.

Fry the onion in a hot mixture of butter and olive oil until soft (chop finely first).

Season the sautéed onions with a mixture of peppers and chopped garlic.

Add ptitim to the spicy vegetables, stir until heated through.

Divide the finished ptitim into portions, garnish with a sprig of fresh mint - serve as a side dish or a separate dish. For example, as a warm salad, additionally garnished with nuts and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Use in cooking

Ptitim pasta is found in a wide variety of recipes. Usually the product is combined with vegetables, meat and fish.

Ptitim with beef

Ptitim pasta with beef in spicy sauce has a pleasant taste and high nutritional value. For preparation you need the following ingredients:

• ptitim - 1 glass;
• beef entrecote - 500 g;
• chickpeas - 1/2 cup;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• cilantro - 1 bunch;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil - 1/3 cup;
• sour cream - 3 tbsp. l.;
• black pepper - 1/4 tsp;
• dried garlic - 1/4 tsp;
• khmeli-suneli - 1 tsp;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l.

The cooking algorithm looks like this:

1. The chickpeas are boiled until tender, and the beef is chopped into small pieces of 1-2 cm.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a deep saucepan and fry chopped onion.
3. Place the meat on a hot surface and brown on both sides.
4. Place carrots, grated on a coarse grater, into a saucepan.
5. Pour the ingredients into 80 ml of water, add salt and pepper.
6. Simmer the dish under a closed lid for about two hours.
7. Towards the end of cooking, boil the ptitim according to the instructions on the package, like regular noodles.
8. Combine pasta with chickpeas and meat.
9. Add chopped herbs, sour cream and spices.
10. Keep covered on the stove for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

You can serve ptitim with beef on its own or in combination with tomatoes, cucumbers and fried eggplants.

Advice! If necessary, add additional salt to the pasta with beef after cooking.

Ptitim pasta with beef goes well with pickles and spicy marinades

Ptitim with spinach

One of the quick recipes suggests preparing an unusual pasta with spinach and herbs. Products needed:

• ptitim - 300 g;
• turmeric - 1/4 tsp;
• cream - 3/4 cup;
• spinach - 1 bunch;
• olive oil - 50 ml;
• green onions - 4 feathers;
• garlic - 1 clove.

The recipe for preparing ptitim pasta with spinach is as follows:

1. The greens are sorted and washed in cool water, and then chopped with a sharp knife.
2. Garlic is peeled and grated or crushed in a garlic press.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan.
4. Spinach, garlic and onions are poured onto a hot surface and fried over low heat until the leaves are soft, stirring constantly.
5. Pour cream into the ingredients, add salt and spices.
6. Allow the dish to simmer for several minutes until excess moisture evaporates.
7. Add pre-boiled ptitim to the pan.
8. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and heat for about another minute under the lid.

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Before eating, you can sprinkle the chicken with spinach with grated cheese.

Ptitim with spinach is eaten for breakfast or dinner

Salad with ham and ptitim

With the addition of ptitim, you can prepare a light, bright and quite filling salad. Ingredients needed:

• ptitim - 200 g;
• cucumber - 1 pc.;
• tomato - 1 pc.;
• ham - 250 g;
• sweet yellow pepper - 1 pc.;
• water - 400 ml;
• green onions - 1 bunch;
• red wine vinegar - 1 tbsp. l.;
• parmesan cheese - 50 g;
• oregano - 1 tsp;
• lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l.;
• olive oil - 2 tbsp. l.;
• parsley - 1 bunch;
• salt - to taste;
• ground black pepper - to taste.

Prepare a salad with unusual pasta ptitim according to the following algorithm:

1. Vegetables are washed and dried on a towel.
2. Ptitim is poured into boiling salted water and, with occasional stirring, is cooked under the lid for about 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Remove the pasta from the heat, pour in olive oil and cool.
4. Place cubes of tomatoes and cucumbers into a deep plate.
5. Add bell pepper and chopped parsley and onion to the vegetables.
6. Place ham cut into thin strips into a bowl.
7. Add the cooled ptitim to the ingredients and mix.
8. Combine lemon juice, oil and vinegar in a separate container, close the container tightly and shake thoroughly.
9. Pour the resulting dressing over the salad and sprinkle with oregano and grated Parmesan.
10. Salt and pepper the dish to taste and mix again.

On top of the salad you can decorate with the remaining hard cheese.

Salad with ham and poultry pasta turns out to be very satisfying and serves as a complete breakfast or dinner.

Recipe 4 ptitim with beans and peas with photo

Ptitim is an analogue of African couscous, which has become widespread in Israel. Its difference lies in the larger grain size. In our recipe we will prepare vegetable Ptitim with green beans, green peas and carrots.

• onions - 2 heads
• vegetable broth - 600 ml
• frozen green beans - 100 g
• frozen green peas - 100 g
• carrots - 1 pc.
• ptitim - 200 g

Peel the onion, chop finely, fry in vegetable oil.

Add beans, green peas, and finely chopped carrots to the pan with onions. Simmer everything until ready.

Wash the poultry and add it to the pan with the vegetables. Fry for ten minutes. Next, add vegetable broth and simmer until done.

Ptitim with beans and green peas (Jewish cuisine) is ready!

Nutritional value per serving

% Daily Value
Based on your age, weight and activity level. Serves as reference information.

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