Easy and Delicious Recipe for Ptitim (Israeli Couscous) with Beetroot and Silken Tofu

So, how was your 2018?

For me, if you’re asking, it was a crazy year.

A year in which I decided to embark on an independent path and try to fly as far as I possibly could, way beyond the unknown horizons.

It was a year where I discovered how many things I could learn on my own through YouTube videos, private courses, consultants, and many, many mistakes.

I am truly excited to see what far-off places 2019 will take me. I have no idea how it will happen, but one thing is for sure: there will be plenty of good food and lots of sore muscles from intense sports activity.

So after this emotional introduction (admit it, it touched your heart), let's start making some Ptitim.

A bit about the recipe

This dish is perfect for kids who don't like eating vegetables because you can't taste the beetroot at all, and there are no chunks of beet to be felt.

The dramatic color of the ptitim catches the attention of every boy and girl, and even the adults among us asked for a serving.

I used regular ptitim I found at the supermarket, but you can use any kind of ptitim you like, such as spelt or gluten-free varieties.

You can also use the ptitim sauce as a pasta sauce.

The texture of the ptitim turns out sticky and thick like risotto, rather than separate grains.

I do not recommend replacing the silken tofu with regular tofu.

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How to eat it?

A serving of ptitim accompanied by a vegetable salad can be a wonderful lunch or dinner, rich in carbohydrates and protein, providing us with energy before a tough workout.

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Nutritional values by fitness coach and clinical dietitian Noam Bachar:

A 200g serving out of 4 contains:

170 kcal, 16g carbohydrates, 9g protein, 7.5g fat (of which 1g is saturated fat)

Ptitim with Beetroot

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 350 g silken tofu
• 150 g fresh beetroot, peeled and cubed
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups ptitim (Israeli couscous)
• 1 tsp coconut sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 cup water

Instructions

1. Blend all the sauce ingredients (everything except the ptitim and oil) in a blender until a pink, uniform mixture is achieved. It's important to use a good, high-quality blender. If you don't have one, you can roast the beetroot in the oven at a high heat for about half an hour until softened, then blend it with an immersion blender.
   
2. Add the oil and the ptitim to a large pot and stir briefly until the oil coats all the grains.
3. Add the sauce and stir well over low heat constantly for about 7-10 minutes until the ptitim are soft.
4. Note that ptitim have a tendency to burn, so it's important to keep stirring so the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
5. When the ptitim are soft and tender, serve immediately.
6. The ptitim are at their best right after cooking.