Couscous Lettuce Cups

Some days I am just not in the mood for cold salads. But I make it a point to include raw greens at least once a week. I do it by combining cold greens with something warm or hot. These combo platters are great lunch ideas and I usually serve with a tall glass of homemade fruit smoothie.

While cooking couscous, I always flavour it by adding cumin powder, as they go really well together. To make this simple meal fancy, I have added Peppadews. When bit, these peppers start sweet, but end with a light kick at the back of the mouth. I love these peppers, because they are juicy, tasty and best of all, colourful. They look like rose petals in the plate, adding to the visual appeal. I usually find them in olive bars in the supermarkets. Next time you spot these peppers, do try; you are in for a surprise. Roasted red pepper may be substituted for peppadews, but the salad will taste slightly smoky.

Ingredients

Whole wheat couscous – 1 cup
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Chickpeas – 1 can, drained and rinsed
Red onion – ½ cup, chopped
Tomato – 2, chopped
Peppadew peppers – a handful
Red pepper flakes – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Cilantro – 2 tbsp, chopped
Salt
Butter/Boston/Bibb lettuce leaves – 6

Method

Boil 1½ cups of water. Add cumin powder and stir until dissolved. Now add couscous, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. When done, fluff with a fork. Wash lettuce and pat them dry.

In a big bowl, whisk together, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, olive oil and salt. To this, add onion, tomato, peppadew peppers, chickpeas and cilantro. Fold everything together along with couscous. Check for seasoning and spoon onto lettuce leaves. Satisfactorily serves 2.