Why not make a stir-fry with ptitim?

In nearly every home in Israel, you’ll find at least one package of ptitim (Israeli couscous) stashed away, and every Israeli child loves a pot of ptitim—often devouring it with a spoon in just a few minutes.

So how can you take this pantry staple and use it to help kids and adults discover new flavors? Olga Touksher from the food and recipe blog "The Secret Ingredient" works wonders with a bag of baked ptitim.

This time, she turns the ptitim into a stir-fry, hiding a variety of vegetables and coating everything with a sweet, tasty Asian sauce made from soy sauce, peanut butter, maple syrup, and garlic. The quick stir-fry of the vegetables in oil preserves their nutritional values, and thanks to the beloved ptitim, even picky eaters will happily give it a try.

Ptitim Stir-Fry Recipe

Recipe by: Olga Touksher

• Total time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4

Ingredients for the ptitim:

2 tbsp oil

1 package baked ptitim (500g)

4 cups boiling water

1 tsp salt

For the vegetables:

2 tbsp oil

1 purple onion, sliced into thin half-rings

1 carrot, cut into thin sticks

1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

½ red chili pepper, sliced into rings (optional)

For the sauce:

½ cup warm water

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

3-4 tbsp soy sauce

1-2 tbsp maple syrup or silan (date syrup)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water

For garnish:

4 chopped green onion stems

Sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. For the ptitim: Heat oil in a pot and sauté the ptitim while stirring for about a minute. Add the boiling water and salt, and cook for 10 minutes over medium-low heat. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit covered for another 5 minutes.

2. For the vegetables: Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan over high heat and stir-fry the onion, carrot, and both types of pepper for 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

3. For the sauce: In a bowl, mix together the warm water, peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, and garlic until smooth.

4. Stir-fry together: Fluff the ptitim with a fork and add it to the pan with the vegetables. Stir well and continue stir-frying for another minute.

5. Add the sauce, mix, and cook together for another 2 minutes.

6. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water until smooth. Pour it into the pan with the stir-fry, stir, and cook for another minute, until the sauce thickens and coats the ptitim and vegetables. Turn off the heat.

7. Top with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve.

Olga Touksher, in collaboration with Sugat.