Vegetarian Cuisine

COUSCOUS with SPICY VEGETABLES –

Serve hot from the oven as a snack or add a quinoa grain dish and salad for a full meal. For a vegan version, substitute cheese with tofu*. Serves 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

1 ⅓ cups chickpeas soaked (Can use can organic chick peas, drained)
4 ½ cups cold water for uncooked chick peas
1 ¼ cups couscous
1 ¾ cups hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped white cabbage
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
2 potatoes, diced
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
2 ⅔ cups thickly sliced zucchini
1 ¾ cups sliced okra
2 carrots, cut into thick slices
3 cups chopped tomatoes
⅓ cup raisins, optional
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

2. For uncooked soaked chick peas, drain and cook 1 to 1½ hours in the cold water over medium heat till tender. Drain.
3. Add couscous to water, bring to boil, stir and switch off heat or remove from heat. Cover.
4. Couscous will continue to cook on own and water will be absorbed. Separate grains with fork. Let stand 5 min.
5. Heat oil in a large pan and add the cabbage, sauté lightly until softened.
6. Stir in spices, cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Add potatoes and cook 3 -4 minutes till they begin to soften
7. Add green bell peppers, zucchini, okra, carrots, tomatoes, cooked or canned chick peas and raisins if using. Cover and cook vegetables on low to medium heat for about 20 min till tender, stirring occasionally.
8. Season with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley to vegetables at end cooking time.
9. The vegetables can be served on top of a bed of couscous. Garnish with sprig parsley.
10. Serve with green salad as desired.

This recipe is an edited contribution for the Sivananda Gurugram partly sourced and edited from The Yoga Cookbook. Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind. Recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. 1999.

Sit silent. Calm thy mind. Make it pure. Have one-pointed devotion. You will enjoy eternal peace and bliss. – Sri Swami Sivananda