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1 cup couscous

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

½ cup spring onions, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped, or

cilantro

3 cups fresh spinach, chopped, or 1½ cups

frozen spinach

¾ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups water

1. Heat a large nonstick fry pan on medium-high heat. Add couscous and lightly roast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. In the same fry pan, heat oil. Add spring onions and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until transparent. Add ginger, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and mint leaves; stir well.

3. Add spinach, salt, and sugar. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, coating the spinach with spices, until the spinach is wilted. Add water. Bring to a boil.

4. Add couscous, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with lid, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and couscous is cooked. Stir to fluff the couscous.

5. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with a lid until ready to serve. Before serving, fluff couscous again.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:

Calories: 138; Total Fat: 3 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g);

Carbohydrate: 24 g; Protein: 4 g; Fiber: 2 g;

Sodium: 307 mg

Flatbreads

FLATBREADS PLAY A fundamental role in Indian cooking, just as loaf breads do in Western cuisines. Wheat is the staple food in northern India, and flatbreads are served at most meals. Indian breads are unleavened, flat, and usually made of whole grain. They are very different in taste and texture from oven-baked, leavened loaves. Probably the bread closest to Indian flatbreads is Mexican tortillas—but in shape only, as the taste and texture are very different. The scope of Indian flatbreads is unmatched by any other cuisine. They are easy, quick, and fun to prepare and absolutely delicious to eat.

Wheat is the most common type of grain used to make a variety of flatbreads. Other grains such as millet (bajra), sorghum (jawar), and corn (makka) are also used occasionally (see Types of Flour, page 155). A variety of wheat flatbreads are eaten at most meals. Rolling them perfectly round may take a little practice, but then again, they taste great whatever shape they are. Different flours, shaping techniques, and cooking sources produce a variety of taste and textures.

Flatbreads for All Occasions

From daily bread (roti) to festive bread (puri), Indian breads can be broken down into four basic types, each one defined by how it’s cooked.

Pan-Baked Flatbread

The most prevalent and nutritious variety, and the daily bread of India, is roti, also known as phulka in some regions, or chapatti in Westernized homes. It is made with whole wheat flour.

The everyday plain roti is made on a tava (flat iron griddle). It is beautifully simple. You mix whole wheat flour and water, roll the dough into a thin circle, cook it on the heated tava for 1 to 2 minutes, and it’s ready to eat. The cooked roti may be buttered, for flavor and moistness. For variations, different grains, spices, herbs, vegetables, beans, and nuts are used.

The roti is served hot off the griddle (hot translates to garam). It’s soft and pliable and great for scooping up vegetables and dals. Traditionally, as well as today in India whenever possible, the roti is made fresh and comes to you one by one when you sit down to eat. A mother instinctively knows the value of hot roti, and takes pride in making them hot and fresh for her family (garam, garam, as we would say). After she feeds the family hot roti, she makes the last two for herself and joins the family. This might sound subservient to a non-Indian, but it’s ingrained in the Indian culture. There is nothing as satisfying and wholesome as hot roti. For the sake of time, I rarely serve them this way. But I do make all the roti just before we sit down to eat. They are still fresh and hot