LIVE TO EAT OR EAT TO LIVE?

Yesterday, my friend Niranjan casually asked me over breakfast, "How do you decide what should be cooked for breakfast?" For someone like me, for whom food is pretty much on my mind all through the day, this was a rather odd question. But then, Niranjan is not one of those guys who live to eat. He is one of those who eat to live. Actually, in Niranjan's case, he wouldn't even mind skipping a meal! I have no idea how anyone can do that! I wouldn't skip a meal for anybody or anything in the world! No matter what happens, I have to eat my six small meals a day! So while I'm devouring my breakfast, I'm usually dreaming of what I'd like to eat for lunch! Although, this is not a luxury I can afford on weekdays. Because weekdays are usually busy, and I either carry lunch cooked by my cook or then, from the office cafetaria. On weekends though, my cook is usually happy. Because that's the only time I take over the kitchen and she has an easy two days!

So last Saturday was my baby cousin, Franklin and baby sister, Ramola's birthdays! Since I didn't have enough time on hand to cook up a feast (which is what I usually do!), I cooked two vegetarian dishes (Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas with Mint Couscous and Baked Pasta Caprese) and ordered Chicken Biryani from Iqbalbhai, one of my favourite caterers. I like his biryani because I love biryanis with a good amount of masala, as opposed to the dry biryani that most people prefer. And Iqbalbhai's biryani has the right amount of masala. Another dish by Iqbalbhai worth mentioning is the Tangdi Kabab. Wrapped in aluminum foil, soaking in thick red masala, the leg pieces are succulent and so tasty! Anyway, the best compliment I received from all my friends that my biryani is better than Iqbalbhai's! I was ecstatic, of course. I'll be posting my biryani recipe soon.

Meanwhile, why don't you enjoy one of the vegetarian dishes I cooked on Saturday?

MOROCCAN SPICED CHICKPEAS WITH MINT COUSCOUS

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas

1 large onion or 2 medium ones

1 can of whole tomatoes

4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

1 Tsp. paprika

½ Tsp. cumin powder

1 Tsp. coriander powder

1 Tbsp. Harissa

1 Tbsp. Ras El Hanout spice

Handful fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped fine

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 preserved lemons chopped into quarters

2 Tbsps. black and green, pitted olives

Salt & pepper to taste

FOR MINT COUSCOUS:

1 cup Couscous

2 cups boiling water

1 Tbsp. Olive oil (Not Extra Virgin Oil)

Salt & pepper to taste

Handful fresh mint leaves, chopped

METHOD:

For the Couscous:

Boil 2 cups water and in a dish add the water to a cup of couscous. Cover and leave to set. Once it’s cooled down, stir with a fork. Throw in a tbsp. Olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Add chopped mint leaves and keep aside. You could also add pomegranate to this.

For the Chickpeas:

Rinse chickpeas. Drain and keep aside. In a dish heat a tbsp. of olive oil. Add finely chopped onions and sauté till they are translucent. Add garlic and sauté. Don’t let them turn brown. Add a can of tomatoes and stir. Cover and let it cook till it’s a nice and thick consistency. Add paprika, cumin, coriander powder and sauté. Add harissa and Ras El Hanout spice and stir-fry. Add half coriander leaves and chickpeas. Pour in a cup of chicken stock and cook till chickpeas are tender. When they are firm and tender, add the quartered preserved lemons. Cook till the sauce is nice and thick. Garnish with the remaining coriander/cilantro leaves and olives. Serve hot with Mint Couscous.

I’ll post the recipe of my Baked Pasta Caprese soon! Cheers!