eers or couscous

This little-known food is gaining growing popularity for its easy of cooking, taste and as a healthier option than pasta or rice

acid. Couscous contains a I% facto-calorie ratio, compared to 3% for white rice and 5% for pasta

Elite food circles consider it o ne o f the healthiest grainbased products today, a nd it is au easy substitute for rice or pasta. Yes, couscous is here to stay, and its various options of grain l end s it a versatility that adapts co many different recipes. Couscous has been around thr ough cennicies of MidclJe Eastern cooking, but my first acquaintance with it was on supermarke t sh e lves whe re its r esemblance co the m ore familiar sago or sab11da11a drew my atte nti on I finally summoned up the nerve to try and coo k it after viewing va rious di sh es b eing prepared using couscous on as many TV shows. A nd it was not just easy to cook, but also h ealthy and very tasty.

Cousc ous contains 3 6g of protein for every 100 calories equivalent to pasta and is well above the 2 6g fo r everr 100 calories of white rice. Its vitamin pro61e contains twice as much r iboAavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate tl1a11 pasta, and four times as much th iamine and pan tothen ic

Of the many varieties of cous cous available, I use Pead couscous which is a small rou nd variety mad e from w h ea t Aour and semolina. Othe r popular types are Moroc ca n couscous (wh ich looks just like semolina bur the grains are slightly bigger in size) , Israeli couscous (which has more medium sized grain s which rake longer to cook) and Lebanese couscous (which is the size of b aby peas). Here are different recipes that br ing out the b est of couscous.

Couscous gratin

We've heard of poraro gratin, so how about cry ing tlie healthier couscous versio n.

For the jilli,{g

4 cups couscous

4 cups water

1 m edium eggp lan t , cut into circles

1 red capsicum cut into circ les

1 g ree n cap s icum cut into circles

2 mecliw11 tomatoes cut into circles

1 medium zucchini cut into circles

2 tsp dried or fres h mixed Italian herbs

OiJ for cooking

Salt and pepper to taste

For the white sauce

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain Aour

3 tbsp sugar

2- 3 cups full cream rnilk

Salt and pepper to taste

For the toppit{g

2 cups grated cheddar and mozarella chees e

1 cup breadcrumbs

Few pineapple rings

Boil the water with a tablespoo n of oil. Stir in the couscous and turn off h ear. Cover and leave fo r 10 minu tes tiJI the couscous absorbs all the water. Stir w itl1 a fo r k and keep aside.

To make tlie white sauce, hear the butter in a non- stick pan and add t he Aour. Coo k till the Aom: turns golden brown. T a ke off the gas and add rue milk slow ly, stirrin g consrantl)' to make sure tl1ere are n o lu m ps. Add sugar, sal t an d pepper. Take a baking tray and spread tlie cooked couscous evenly ac ross the base of the tray. Spread t he white sauce evenly over it. Cover tbe cop of tl1e white sa uce w itl1 the cut vegetables , sp reading evenlr over the surface. Keep as ide. In a bowl, mix rogec he r the cheese a nd b readcrumbs. Spread eve nl y ove r tl1e vegetable layer and decorate with th e pineapple rin!,'S-

Bake in tl1e oven at 160 degrees for 45 minutes or till the vegetables are cooked

Vegetable Couscous

Simple and healthy, great for kids.

2 cups Moroccan couscous

2 cups water

2 cups cubed vegetables (potato, French beans, red caps icum, pumpkin)

I 1/2 cup roasted ground peanuts

1 small romaro, cubed

Few curry leaves (optional)

2 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp mrmeric p owder

½ tsp cumin- coriander powder

½ tsp chiUi powder (optional)

Oil for cooking

Sal t to caste

1 tsp butter

Yogurt for serving

Boil water in a saucepan with 1- 2 tablespoon o f oil and 1 teaspoon of sale. Pour in the couscous and sti r. Allow to sta nd fo r 2-3 mi n utes Add butter and cook again on low fire to separate th e grains. Heat oil u.1 a n on - stick pan and add cloves an d cinnamon.

1 ext, add cumin seeds a nd c urry l eaves O n ce they crackle, add all tlie vegetables and cook till tender. Then add the couscous with the spices and tomato Cook on slow lire till all the ingredients are well mixed. Serve w itl1 del icious chick yogurt

Anot her method of cooking tl,is recipe is to use 2-3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth instead of water. For an interesting accompanim ent, (see pie below) blend togeth er 3- 4 medium roasted comaroes, 1 tsp lemon juice, 4 garlic cloves, ½ tsp chilli powder a nd salt co taste with 6- 7 tbsp of olive oil. ML'( t h is p uree with the couscous, adding a ha n dful of cooked green peas to tlie mix. Serve h ot or cold, as you prefer.

Berry and Saffron Couscous Pudding

1 ½ cups couscous

3 cups milk

2-3 tbsp honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp chopped nuts of your cho ice

2 cups berr y mix (frozen berries will also do)

2 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

P inch saffron, dissolves in a tbsp of warm milk

1/2 cup tl1ick cream for serving 1 uts for serving.

Boil rhe milk, then add rhe couscous, n uts, hon ey, saffron and vauilla extrac t. Let the couscous abso rb tl1e milk for 20-30 minutes. Keep as id e and let rue mix cool dow n. Heat the berries and brown sugar together in a pan till tl1ey form a thick and saucy consistencr, Place bo th bowls in the fridge to coo l. To serve, scoop some couscous mixture into dessert bowls and top witli a d o ll op of cream, b erry sauce, mus and sprinkle with a pinch of ci cmamon powder.

Tip: fo r a healthier option, use yogurt instead of cream.

It's Aamir Khan's Time!

There's something specia l about Aam i r Khan. And it's not just his versatility as a hugely successful actor, director and producer, it's possibly because he comes across as being an honest, sincere and down-to-earth individual. Add this to his repertoire of movies with a message and you have the man in his element But Aamir is now becoming much more than this. He's now becoming the face of Brand India. The actor 's hugely successful TV show Satyamev Jayate focusing on burning issues facing India and ways of tackling them, has landed him on the cover of the prestigious Time magazine as India's "first superstar-activist:'

'He's breaking the Bollywood mould by tackling India's social evils. Can one actor change a nation?' asks the blurb on the cover of the Asia edition of the September 10 issue of the US magazine, which features a close-up of the actor looking intensely i nto the camera.

Tracing the rise of Aamir Khan with the 1988 blockbuster hit Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Time' s Bobby Ghosh noted over the past decade the 47-year-old actor has acted in, directed and produced a string of"movies that artfully straddle the demands of popular cinema and that desire for grace:•

"Now, with his groundbreaking TV show Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails), he has dispensed with commercial considerations to indulge his conscience,"writes Ghosh. 'With it, Khan has taken on the mantle of the country's first superstar-activist:'

There's no doubt that the show brings some of India's worst social problems to the fore, but Aamir had the nerve to carry it through.

"It's a ballsy move, and potentially jeopardizes his status as the beloved idol of millions," writes Ghosh, since the subjects his show tackles "are precisely the sorts of harsh realities from which many of Khan's fans seek escape in his movies:•

As Khan assesses the impact of his first series, Time suggests, "Whatever Khan chooses to do next in his quest for grace, there's a good chance it will lift India a littl e closer to what he- and fellow Indians - would wish their country and society to be:'

Aamir Khan is the third Indian actor to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. Aishwarya Rai made it to the cover in 2003 and Parveen Babi was featured in 1976. And when the issue hits the stands, it's likely that Aamir 's fan base would have swelled across Asia, and perhaps other populists will seek answers to the endemic problems in their own countries. Kudos Aamir, you' ve made us proud!

Remembering AK Hangal

He is remembered in many avatars across the fickle screen on Indian cinema. From loving father to concerned uncle to dogooder neighbour, AK Hangal played each role with aplomb. His was a face that automatically lent itself to these roles, with kindliness and a belief in humanity etched on his features since he faced the cameras at the comparatively young age of SO.

Born in Sialkot now in Pakistan, Hangal spent most of his childhood in Peshawar. He grew up to be a tailor but quenched his thirst for acting through theatre. Postpartition, he is said to have moved to Mumbai in 1949, and got his first breaks in Bollywood around 1966-67. Hangal's initial films included Teesri Kasam and Shagird.

Being 50, he had few options in terms of the variety in his roles but he gladly and responsibly played uncle, father and grandfather to heroes and heroines starting from the 1970s.

This talented character artist is best remembered for playing Rahim Chacha in Sholay, but some of his other memorable movies include Namak Haraam, Bawarchi, Chupa Rustam, Abhimaan, Shau keen, Guddi, Lagaan and Paheli.

Most of his films were with Rajesh Khanna, India's first'superstar'who passed away on July 18. They shared screen space in Aap Ki Kasam, Amar Deep, Phir Wohi Raat and Sautela Bhai.

But life wasn't easy for the actor as he grew older. After featuring in over 200 films in a career that easily spanned over four decades, Hangal was living a life of penury- a fact which came to light in 2011.

He had no income and his only son Vijay, who is 70-plus and with whom the veteran actor lived, had to give up his job due to a severe back ai lment. The result was their inability to afford mounting medical bills. But even then Hang al didn't give up or seek financial aid Such was his spirit - and pride. Hangal and Vijay were said to have had medical expenses of Rs. 15,000 per month, and had to choose between spending on food and medication. But once the news broke, the film fraternity immediately came to his aid.

Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan funded a chunk of his medical expenditure, with Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra contributing too. His seniority and respectability in the industry also moved the Maharashtra government and the Cine and TV Artistes Association to lend a helping hand. The humble Hangal was overwhelmed.

At 96, he was al ready recharged enough to 'walk'the ramp in a wheelchair for designer Riyaz Ganji. At 97, he lent his voice-over for an animated film and did a TV show. Age was clearly never a bar for AK Hangal. He lived with an undying passion for his craft almost till h is last breath, epitomising the phrase, once an actor, always an actor

A man with a never-say-no attitude, Hangal maintained his enthusiasm to wear greasepaint when he entered the sets ofTV serial Madhubala in May 2012.

"I believe there is no age limit to work," Hangal said, on agreeing to the cameo role. He was ill by then, but he wasn't willing to give up.

He reached the sets, looked around, and just as he must have done in his prime, he called out: "Make up man!"

RIP, AK Hangal!

Confident Kareena doesn' t go over the top Kareena Kapoor may be one of Bollywood's best known and loved belles, but she's still grounded when it comes to her work. The actress recently admitted that she was "confident, but not over-confident" of her soon to be released movie, Heroine.

"I am not over-confident, but quite confident and excited about the film;• said Kareen a recently of Heroine, which revolves around the ups and downs in a journey of an actress. However, she was quick to point out that although her role was the lead one, in real life she is nothing like the actress in the film.

"People think there are simi l arities, but I am not like that in real life She is bold, manipulative, dark and edgy. I am not at all like that;' she said.

Her favourite looks are in the title song of the film, which is yet to release.

Answering genera l questions, Kareena came up with general , and sometimes predictable answers Asked of whom she is jealous in l ife, she said, "I am jealous of people who get to go on holidays, even though I go on many on my own I love travelling. I am also jealous of people who get to eat whatever they want."

But the actress still maintains that the film closest to her heart wi ll be Refugee - her first film, despite acting in bl ockbusters like Ra.One, Bodyguard and 3 Idiots "The first film is always specia l. That innocence never comes back," she said

But back to Heroine, the film also stars Arjun Rampa! and Randeep Hooda, and has been directed by Madhur Bhandarakar

So it's up, up up for Kareena Another reel life portrayal, even if it isn't quite like her real life!

What fazes

Big B?

Now he maybe India's megastar and reasonably comfortable in front of the camera, but Amitabh Bachchan finds it hard to perform when his wife Jaya is on the sets with him The actor, who wi ll be seen with Jaya in Bhojpuri film Ganga Devi, says there is lot of restriction when his wife is on the sets and he gets conscious in her presence

"When your wife is on the sets with you, then your behaviour also changes, there are lots of restrictions, there is always a discipline on the sets or el se when you go back home, the situation goes out of control;' a laughing

Amitabh told reporters recently, during the music launch of the film.

"I hope the aud ience likes the film,"he added

Amitabh played a key role in his makeup man-turnedproducer Deepak

Sawant's fi l m, which is about reservation for women in elected bodies

He acted earlier in Bhojpuri movie

Gangotri, which did well at the box office

Amitabh says Sawant is like a family member.

"I am glad to be part of this film Deepak is like fami l y and when he approached me for this film, I did it without any hesitation. I know him now for 30 to 35 years," stated the actor

"He is my makeup man, INDIANLINK