What is ptitim and why is it useful? How to choose and cook it as a side dish

Today, few people know about the new "young" product - ptitim, which is also called Israeli couscous or bulgur. It's time to get acquainted with it, learn about its benefits and harms, recipes for cooking, composition and caloric content.

What is ptitim

Petitim is a wheat paste that uses durum varieties to make it. It is something in between small pasta and bulgur. It is similar in appearance to large grains of rice, but differs from ordinary pasta in processing technology, as well as its unusual shape. Even it is possible to cook ptitim both as pasta and as rice, but that will be discussed below.

Many people think of ptitim as a type of couscous. In fact, they are two completely different products. The paste is made from the highest grade flour, and it can be any shape - in the form of stars, shells, various figures. The classic ptitim is shaped like small pills, about 5 mm in diameter. It is possible to meet on sale and multi-colored ptitime which is painted with dyes that is especially pleasant to children. The product can be used as well as conventional pasta - for cooking soups, side dishes, when preparing cold snacks.

History of appearance

On the shelves of Russian stores ptitim appeared quite recently. This product is new, not yet mastered by the majority of citizens. However, it appeared in Israel in the middle of the last century, when the country was short of food products. In those years, many people migrated to Israel from neighboring countries, and then began to feel the shortage of food. Rice did not grow in Israel, and in the case of the migrants, rice was the main ingredient in their daily diet. The Prime Minister ordered to develop a technology for producing pasta that would resemble rice in appearance and taste.

Initially, the grains of ptitim were oblong, and it tasted tough and coarse. Subsequently, the shape was changed, so the taste softened considerably. Today the new product is served in cafes in many countries of the world as a side dish. It is also used as a base for a variety of dishes.

How it tastes

The taste of the product is similar to that of classical pasta. However, unusual nutty notes give it a special uniqueness. The fact is that ptitim is roasted in special ovens, which gives it a special taste, texture and hue. While eating you can feel the starchiness and very little sweetness. Some people can taste the flavor of bread.

What to eat with

Pasta is cooked and eaten with a wide variety of foods. It is most harmoniously combined with mushrooms, chicken, cheese and vegetables. A nice addition to the dish would be a cream sauce. It is not uncommon to make stuffed peppers with ptitime or add it to pilaf. Boiled pasta can be a great side dish to a mix of vegetables or a light soup for those who follow a healthy, dietary diet. Interestingly, in some countries ptitim is part of the diet for people attending fitness clubs.

In general, ptitim can be eaten with any meat, vegetables - zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chicken, mushrooms. Any sauce - tomato, cream sauce, pesto and others - can be used as a supplement. Well harmonize pasta and with seafood - shrimp, squid.

What is the difference between ptitime and couscous

Mistakenly, many people think that ptitim and couscous are the same thing. In fact, this is absolutely not the case. Couscous appeared a long time ago - at the end of the 18th century. It is based on semolina which is sprinkled with water. Couscous balls are irregularly shaped and 1 to 3 mm in diameter. They are much smaller than the grains of ptitimes.

Couscous has a stiff texture compared to ptititim. When cooked, it is either poured in hot water or steamed. Wheat pasta is softer in taste, and after pre-frying it reveals its full flavor characteristics.

Composition and calories

Pasta is made from just two ingredients. They are water and wheat flour. In terms of nutritional value, it differs little from conventional pasta. Boiled ptitime contains about 340 calories per 100 grams. Since, the basis in the product is flour, we can safely say that it is rich in carbohydrates. In the composition are present:

• B vitamins;
• vitamin PP;
• Minerals - phosphorus, manganese, silicon, copper, cobalt, molybdenum.

Noodles contain a lot of copper and manganese, which are directly involved in metabolism and hematopoiesis. These mineral elements improve the nervous system and strengthen the immune system.

What is useful for pasta ptitim

It is safe to say that ptitim is useful for human health, if you eat it in moderation and not often. Since there are a lot of carbohydrates in the composition, it is not recommended to get carried away with it. Especially for those who watch out for a figure. But dishes based on such pasta quickly satisfy hunger, create a feeling of fullness for a long time and are easily digested. Petitime can be introduced into the diet for children's meals. It will diversify the table and make the diet more balanced and complete.

Israeli pasta is a light dish which is an excellent alternative to heavy side dishes. They can be eaten even in case of slight digestive system disorders, but not in case of worsening gastrointestinal diseases. With dyspepsia, it is quite possible to replace cereals with ptitim, boiling it together with a chicken breast and butter.

General benefits

The benefits of consuming Ptitim are that it:

• prevents the formation of kidney stones;
• helps the body to absorb calcium from food (which differs significantly from cereals and regular pasta);
• increases vitality;
• promotes good mood and excellent health;
• normalizes the water-salt balance in the body;
• improves brain function;
• strengthens the heart muscle;
• lowers blood cholesterol levels.

However, this is not all the benefits for the body from the consumption of unique pasta. For both men and women, they are simply essential. And, here's why.

For women

Very useful ptitim for women's health. It promotes the production of substances which increase the level of sex hormones. This has a beneficial effect on the female reproductive system. When consumed regularly, it improves the condition of the nails and hair.

For men

Israeli pasta should be present in the diet of men engaged in physical work, active professional activities, sports. After all, it satiates and satisfies hunger for a long time. Dishes with the addition of meat, butter, cheese or cream have a high caloric value, which is important in the diet of active men.

When pregnant

In its composition, pasta contains nucleic acids, which are necessary for the development of the fetus. Therefore, pregnant women are advised to eat Israeli couscous dishes more often. In addition, it contains a lot of vegetable protein, which determines the high energy value.

When breastfeeding

Nutritious durum wheat pasta is also useful for young mothers who are breastfeeding. Its introduction to the diet will diversify the table, making the diet balanced and complete. For breastfeeding mothers will be useful dishes of ptitime with the addition of chicken, cream, butter, cheese, vegetables. It is nourishing and nutritious. The more so as the B vitamins, which are present in large quantities in the product, put you in a positive mood, improve your health and mood, which is very important for mothers with infants. Also these vitamins can effectively fight chronic fatigue.

Is it possible to eat poultry on a diet?

Sitting on a diet for weight loss, ptitim can be introduced into the diet for a change, but not often. After all, it contains a lot of carbohydrates. You should not add fatty foods to it. Otherwise, the caloric content will become prohibitive. However, boiled pasta can be consumed with vegetables or chicken breast in small quantities once or twice a week.

It is not recommended to eat ptitim for people who are on a dietary therapeutic diet. Gluten is difficult to digest during exacerbation of digestive diseases.

Contraindications and possible harm

Harm this noodles can bring only to those who suffer from intolerance to gluten and gluten. In this case, the pasta can provoke allergies. It is worth limiting the consumption of ptitime to people with:

• Diabetes mellitus;
• Kidney and liver diseases;
• Thyroid problems;
• acute inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

If the digestive organs are disturbed consume pasta very carefully, and only in small portions. It is not recommended to eat Israeli couscous with pancreatitis, acute gastric or intestinal ulcers. Very carefully should refer to this product with a tendency to constipation, because ptitim contains a large amount of carbohydrates that slow down digestive processes. In rare cases, it is possible to eat it together with a lot of vegetables, greens.

How to choose and store it correctly

On the shelves in stores at the moment you can hardly find a wide range of ptitim paste from different manufacturers. The product appeared in the country relatively recently, so you can't count on a difficult choice. Unless in large food centers in large cities. When buying it you should pay attention to the integrity of the grains, their size. They should be identical, one to one. This indicates a high quality product.

Pasta can be stored for up to 20 months from the date of manufacture. The place for storage should be dry and dark. At the same time it is necessary to avoid high humidity, direct sunlight. To store ptitime it is better to use special jars for food, but not of plastic. Better ceramic or glass.

How to cook ptitime as a side dish

Proper cooking of ptitime will reveal all the flavors. That's why you should not forget important nuances while cooking:

1. The water for cooking the pasta should be twice as much as the dry product.
2. It can be cooked in meat, chicken or vegetable broth.
3. Pre-roasting the grains on high heat for 2-3 minutes will make the finished dish airy, very tasty and fragrant.
4. When heating the oil, you can add onions, crushed garlic or spices, which will saturate the pasta with an unforgettable flavor.

The correct ratio of water to pasta is 2 to 1. Cook it on low heat until all the liquid is absorbed. After that you must taste it. If the pasta remains stiff, then leave the pot on low heat for another 5 minutes. At this point, you can add butter, grated cheese or toasted minced meat.

In a pot

Boil in a pot ptitim better in a broth, which is taken in a ratio of 1 to 2. Cook it on low heat under a lid until all the liquid is absorbed. On average, it takes about 20 minutes. Next, the pasta is mixed well and left to infuse for another 10 minutes.

In the multicooker

In a multicooker Israeli couscous is cooked in the same way as rice. Put the pasta in a bowl, pour water and set the appropriate mode.

Steamed

Cooking pasta on steam is quite possible, however, there is no great sense in it. A delicious and dietary dish turns out if you cook it together with the meat. Place the meat on the bottom rack and the poultry on the top rack. Then it will soak up the meat flavors, which allows you to discover new flavors. Cook the dish on steam under a closed lid for 25 minutes.

How to cook ptitim: recipes

You can cook the flour product in one of two ways - as pasta or as rice. The algorithm of actions in the first case is as follows:

• in boiling salted water put the paste, stirring, bring to a boil;
• Cook for about 15 minutes;
• Flip it on a colander;
• rinse with cold water;
• add butter.

You should take 5-6 times more water than the weight of the dry product. Do not overcook the poultry, so that you do not have to settle for a sticky slurry as a result. From time to time you should stir it while cooking.

One can boil ptitim like rice as well. In this case step by step the process of cooking will look like this:

1. Cereal is poured into a hot pan with vegetable oil and quickly fried until golden.
2. Pour boiling water into a bowl, so that the pasta is covered with 2-3 cm.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Reduce heat to minimum, cover the pan with a lid.
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

When cooked, try the pasta. When the pasta is cooked, tasting it reveals that it is not ready. At the end of cooking time, Israeli bulgur should be left to infuse. Let it stand in a warm place for another 15 minutes, then the kernels will fully absorb the moisture and become crumbly and soft. The second version of cooking is a classic. This is how ptitime is cooked in restaurants and cafes in many countries around the world.

The spices used to cook rice ptitim can be paprika, turmeric, tomato paste. Frozen vegetables can be added to the pan. After pre-frying the grains perfectly holds their shape, absorbing the flavor and aroma of all the spices and spices. It turns out a nourishing dish, easy to prepare, with a high energy value.

With shrimp

For connoisseurs of seafood a great option would be ptitim with shrimp. For this pasta is boiled separately in the traditional way and left in a colander. The shrimp are cleaned from the shells. If desired, remove the tails. In a pan in vegetable oil, first fry the onion, then add the garlic. At the end put the shrimp and fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add heavy cream, salt, pepper, spices as desired and keep a little on the heat until the mixture thickens a little. Put the tortilla to the sauce, stir and leave for 2 minutes under the lid. It is served on a plate and served at once.

Shrimp can be replaced by squid or other seafood.

With chicken

To make a dish of pasta and chicken, we need more vegetables. Carrots, onions, bell peppers, garlic, a few tomatoes. Vegetables are cleaned, washed, diced and sent to a frying pan with heated vegetable oil. Only the tomatoes are left. After they soften, add the chicken fillet slices, salt, pepper and season. Put chopped tomatoes in the pan, from which it is better to remove the skin. Add dried ptitim and pour the contents of the broth or water. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. During this time the grains will completely absorb the liquid. Sprinkle the dish with fresh dill and parsley greens, cover for another 5 minutes and then serve.

With mushrooms

Delicious and nutritious is a mushroom dish on the basis of Israeli pasta. Creamy sauce and mushrooms successfully shade the natural nutty flavor of ptitim. All in all, gets a very good option even for a holiday dinner. First, boil the pasta and flip it in a colander. In heated vegetable oil in a frying pan throw chopped mushrooms - mushrooms, white mushrooms and fry until the liquid evaporates. Add diced onions. Fry until a nice golden color. Add a glass of heavy cream, salt and pepper. Grate some grated cheese, which is put into the pan. At the end - a piece of butter and pasta. Mix everything and serve hot.

With vegetables

Israeli couscous with vegetables can be prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe with chicken. Just exclude the meat product, and take any vegetables. The dish is cooked very quickly, can be used as a side dish and as a main dish for dinner. However, you can experiment with poultry and vegetables and create a real culinary masterpiece. For example: stuffed peppers, which can be served not only on the everyday table, but also on a holiday.

They take a few large, beautiful bell peppers and bake them in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Before cooking, the vegetables are freed from seeds and rough strips, leaving them intact. Boil the ptitimes in water for 15 minutes. Rake in a colander. Fry onion and grated carrot in vegetable oil. At the end add chopped tomatoes. Stir the vegetable mixture with pasta. Salt, pepper, add your favorite spices, herbs.

Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place them in a baking dish. Mix sour cream with tomato paste and pour over the peppers. Bake in an oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes. You can also cook stuffed peppers in a multicooker, using the mode "Stew".

Another vegetable dish will suit the taste of lovers of proper nutrition. This is ptitim with spinach. The dish is light, rich in vitamins, but satiating for a long time. For the preparation you will need a large bundle of spinach, which is chopped finely along with green onions. In heated vegetable oil in a frying pan, put the greens, onions and garlic. With regular stirring, fry the mixture until the leaves are soft. Pour a glass of cream and add your favorite spices. Pre-cooked ptitime put in a bowl with greens and cream, stir and heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

With beef

A very hearty and nutritious dish, capable of warming up during the winter season, is obtained from wheat pasta with beef. First, the poultry is boiled and thrown in a colander. It is left for a while. Beef entrecote is diced and fried in a deep saucepan until brown. Add onion, then carrot, a little water. Salt and pepper. Stew meat with vegetables for about 40 minutes. Ready pasta is mixed with meat and vegetables, in which water has already evaporated. Thoroughly mix, add herbs, sour cream and your favorite spices. Cover and let stand for 3 minutes. Serve hot.

How to make a soup with ptitime

Wheat paste, created by a special cooking technology, does not tend to swell even when left in liquid for a long time. Therefore, it is excellent for cooking first courses and is an excellent alternative to the usual pasta. If the poultitime is presented in the form of figures or stars, this soup will be a favorite dish of children.

Soup with chicken meatballs will be just right for baby food. For its preparation, you will need small meatballs, which can be made in advance by mixing ground chicken with onions, breadcrumbs and eggs. Then put dry ptitim in hot water or broth and cook for about 10 minutes. At this time fry onion, carrot and celery root in a pan. Diced potatoes are put into the boiling soup. Then meatballs and fried meat. Boil for 5 more minutes, turn off heat. Add fresh greens and let stand for 5 minutes. If desired, after turning off the stove in the soup you can add crushed garlic.

Approximately the same can be cooked chicken soup with poultry. Only the chicken is boiled with the addition of whole carrots and onions. It is taken out, and in the broth put ptitim, then potatoes, then chicken boiled meat, roast and herbs. For men engaged in heavy physical labor, pasta soup is better prepared with beef or lamb. Such a dish turns out fatty, very nutritious, warming. Cooked similarly to soup with meatballs or chicken. Only the meat is cooked for 2 hours, and then the rest of the ingredients are added.

Ptitime Salad Recipe

Even salads can be made with ptitim - nourishing and nutritious, they may well replace a side dish. For example, a salad with ham, for which the pasta is boiled in the classic way and cooled. The ham is cut into julienne strips. Also chop fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers. Mix everything and add green onions. Make a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and wine vinegar, one tablespoon at a time. If desired, oregano and dill greens can be added to the salad. At the end of the dish is salted and peppered with ground black pepper. The salad has a special spicy touch and becomes even more filling if you add grated Parmesan.

The Israeli pasta salad with bacon and feta is unusual in its taste. Pasta is boiled in salted water with the addition of a spoonful of olive oil for 10 minutes. Then add fresh green peas and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour the water off, rinse the contents with cold water. Fry the slices of bacon and put it on a paper towel. Put poultry and peas in a salad bowl, salt, pepper, bacon slices, fresh cucumber, feta, herbs. For dressing they use olive oil and lemon juice in the ratio 2 to 1. The salad turns out delicious, nutritious, original in taste.

No product, no matter how useful it is, should not be consumed without measure. This will lead to negative consequences. Poultice is no exception here. If eaten in moderation, it will benefit the cardiovascular and digestive systems. If, however, fanatically overeat pasta, including it in the daily menu, intestinal disorders, constipation and weight gain can not be avoided.

Photo by poultitim