Receta Spicy Couscous Muffins
What was I even thinking while I went about baking these muffins? This is the first I’m seeing Couscous, which is the secret ingredient given by my partner Roshni for this month’s Avant Garde Cookies’s Hush Hush Week. I had to curse myself for not taking up on Roshni’s offer for a change in the ingredient. Coming to the ingredient though I have come across several recipes posted by many bloggers, this is the first time I’m actually cooking it and this is the first time I’m laying my hands on it.
Most importantly I understood the health aspects of this wonder food after reading about it and wanted my kids to love it at the first try itself. I have had enough of preaching about health benefits of ingredients and I wanted this first attempt to be clean kill. They better know when not to mess with me.
Interestingly when I went to a supermarket near my home and after many failed attempts to locate a pack of this, I asked one of the sales girls on which aisle I could find couscous. She gave me a weird look, went off, came back and handed me a khus-khus (poppy seeds) packet. Both the ingredients sounded alike. When I was seriously considering on accepting Roshni’s offer on change of ingredient, luckily I was able to get a pack in a shop where they sell imported goods.
While I understand that it is my responsibility to make sure my kids eat healthy foods, I also feel that it is my duty to present that food in such a way that they will love it and want to eat it. Unfortunately when I looked around for something interesting I came across several recipes with many a fancy names but the bottom line was, all of them looked like salads which I was sure would be a big turn off for my kids.
That is when these muffins started taking shape and I never thought Arjun would love savory bakes this much. He cleared off 4 of these all by himself. Thanks to dear Roshni for suggesting me this ingredient and now my mind is abuzz with so many possibilities. So stay tuned...
Cook the couscous as per the pack instructions. Mix the dry ingredients.
Beat the wet ingredients together and mix it with the dry ingredients.
Spoon into the muffin case and bake away.
Spicy Couscous Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 Mins | Bake Time: 20 Mins | Makes: 6
- Ingredients:
- Couscous – 60 gms
- Water – 75ml (1/2 teacup)
- All purpose flour – 50 gms
- Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
- Black pepper powder – 1/4 tsp
- Egg – 1
- Oil – 3 tbsp
- Milk – 1/4 cup
- Cheese, grated – 3 tbsp
- Coriander leaves, chopped – 4 tbsp
- Caramelized Onions – 2 tbsp
- Salt – to taste
Instructions:
1. Bring water to a bubbling boil and salt it. Pour this over the couscous. Stir it vigorously and let it be for 4 minutes. All the water will be absorbed and the couscous is ready to use. Keep it aside.
2. Sift together all purpose flour, baking powder and to this add red chilli powder, pepper powder, pinch of salt, caramelized onions, grated cheese, chopped coriander leaves and toss well. Now add the cooked couscous, give it a mix and keep aside.
3. Beat together egg, milk and oil. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix till both the wet and dry ingredients are mixed well. Do not over do it.
4. Preheat the oven at 200 Degrees Celsius.
5. Grease a muffin pan and fill the cups till 3/4th and bake for 20 minutes or till a skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. Serve hot with some tomato ketchup drizzled over.
Notes:
Do not be surprised if these muffins do not rise that much when compared to the others.
You can omit red chilli powder, cheese and caramelized onions if you do not like.
The salt is added in 2 parts. One to cook the couscous and second with the flour. So check the salt.
Oven timings will change accordingly.