norwegian cooking: Baked Couscous and Nuts Patty

Baked Couscous and Nuts Patty

Hi Friends!

Many thanks for all the well wishes, I felt special and loved. I feel much better now though the viral still makes me feel weak. I will recuperate completely in a day or two. I also felt pampered when DH took a day off to take care of me.

Now, my regular readers know that S is a foodie, a connoisseur surely. We discuss food a lot and while I rested myself and watched Tere Bin Laden with him ( the movie was good, I enjoyed watching it as it was a no tension movie ) in the midst of it suddenly I asked S, how will couscous and nuts taste together? The encouraging S said, should not taste bad, go ahead and try it.

So today, when I felt energetic enough I made these and I must say I patted myself for my imagination and also for attempting it. The patty is simply amazing, awesome, tasty, nutty and the best part baked…..too good. I am so glad that I made them! My younger one, for whom his mother is the best cook, gave me his big smile and said “khoop chhaan ahe” ( too good in Marathi). He made my day and it was surely a day when I felt good about myself, my skills. I am sure every one feels that once in a while when they feel good about themselves.

I made them into a small patty but they will make an excellent patty for burgers too, if made big. They do not need any binder as couscous absorbs extra moisture and potatoes help well in binding. You will notice that I have not added many spices in it and tried to keep all natural flavors. Let’s read the recipe and I do request you to try these…..

Ingredients

4 potatoes boiled, peeled and grated

1-1/2 cups couscous (after soaking)

an onion chopped

5-6 green chilies

3 garlic pods crushed

a small piece ginger crushed

2-3 tbsp cilantro

2 tbsp oil

a cup of coarsely powdered nuts (I used walnut, cashewnut, pistachios, almonds)

a tsp white pepper pwd

salt to taste

baking spray

Method

In a small pan drizzle a few drops of oil and add chilies followed by onions and saute for a minute. This is just to soften the onions and dry it’s water. Cool it.

Microwave all the nuts on high for a minute. Cool them and then crush them coarsely ( I used my chili chopper).

In a bowl mix the grated potatoes, soaked couscous and sauted onions.

Now mix the nuts, pepper pwd, crushed ginger-garlic- cilantro, oil and salt.

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.

Take small portions and shape the patties.

Grease a baking tray and line the patties and bake them in a preheated oven at 240C for 10 minutes on one side and then turn and bake again till you get a golden hue on top. Drizzle a few drops of oil or spray on top of the patties before baking.