'Luquaimat' and Tea. A traditional Omani sweet at Muscat Festival , Oman

Luqaimat is a well-known Arab dessert and a 'must have' in Arab homes for Iftar. Also known as a crunchy sweet dumpling, it varies from country to country and I had a wonderful opportunity to see it being made 'up close and personal' at Muscat Festival some time back

Halfway through my visit to the very popular Muscat Festival, I found myself feeling slightly peckish and the need for a cup of tea was very strong. Heading towards the food stalls, I was wondering exactly what I should have when I heard someone calling out to me. It turned out to be the heroine of today's story, Fathiya, a 43 year old from Rustaq who showed me exactly how it was made, patiently answered all my queries and best of all, allowed me to photograph her at each stage. What I learnt from Fathiya however was that the dumpling itself was not sweet but the syrup that is poured over it is what gives it that sweet taste.

Moving to the sit down area, I sat and enjoyed my teatime treats and moved on...refreshed and thoroughly rejuvenated! For those of you who might be interested in trying it out, I have located a variation of the basic recipe that uses condensed milk at the last stage. In my opinion that really makes it even more delicious. Ingredients 1 cup all purpose flour 1 tbsp corn flour 1 tsp instant yeast 1 tsp of sugar 3/4 – 1 cup of water Condensed milk Oil to taste Method Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Gradually add the water and keep on mixing until you get a smooth batter. It should be in dripping consistency( not too watery or too thick) Cover the batter for 1 or 2 hours until the batter has doubled. The batter now should have bubbles and look somewhat bouncy. Heat oil in a wok. Scoop a small amount of batter with your fingers and drop them into the hot oil Fry till they turn golden brown. Remove from oil, and place them on kitchen paper. Pour condensed milk or your favorite syrup on top. Sit back with friends and enjoy with a hot cup of tea, coffee or better still, on their own. NB- this post has been shared again on popular demand