'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

'Kurtoskalacs', the famous Hungarian chimney cake at Muscat Festival 2014

I'm enjoying Muscat Festival 2014 more than ever before and for those of you who are following my posts, I'm sure you all know that my sweet tooth is the reason for that. After savouring the Omani and French delicacies  on previous visits, we had the opportunity to try out the famous Hungarian Chimney cake on this one. 

Called 'Kurtoskalacs', the chimney cake, is a traditional Hungarian pastry that is wrapped around a wooden spool and slowly turned over an open fire. It is believed to have originated from Transylvania, but is  now celebrated as the oldest pastry in Hungary, and more often than not, makes for really great street  food. 

We had the opportunity to watch closely while the  pastry chef happily obliged. Not only did she tell us exactly how its made but gave us a great photo op as well.

Its really quite simple and like most pastries, the dough is coated with oil and sugar, and when baked it creates a crunchy, sugary outside crust, not unlike a hot pretzel, with a soft doughy inside.We had a choice of coatings and chose the walnut coating based on their recommendation. 

One lady prepares the pastry while the other does the actual baking

Best eaten when they are just hot off the fire and delicious!

The Disney Parade  as we enjoyed  our tea and cake

Naseem Gardens-All lit up

Sitting outside in the gardens on a delightfully nippy evening, the strains of Arabic music somewhere in the background, the Disney parade in front of us, hot steaming tea and the Hungarian cake.....










We really couldn't have asked for more! 

A taste of Omani food and hospitality- Delicious Honey drizzled pancakes at the Heritage Village, Muscat Festival 2014

I love going to Muscat Festival, an annual event held in January every year and have been to each one since it first began in 1998. A month-long annual event showcasing Omani and international art and culture, it was inaugurated at Naseem Park and Al Amerat Park almost a week ago and will run till the 22nd of February giving everyone a chance to visit the locations and enjoy the fabulous treats that lie in store.

The Omanis are well known for their hospitality and to be invited into someone's home is considered to be a real honour. It usually means coffee or kahwa a strong, bitter drink flavoured with cardamom, and dates or halwa, a sticky sweet gelatinous substance which is made from brown sugar, eggs, honey and spices. More substantial meals often have rice as the main ingredient, together with cooked meats. The main daily meal is usually eaten at midday, while the evening meal is lighter. Chicken, fish and mutton are regularly used in dishes. 

A favourite drink is 'laban', a salty buttermilk and yoghurt based drinks, flavoured with cardamom and pistachio nuts are also very popular.

Snacks are also very popular and of these,  sweet pancakes drizzled with honey is definitely my favourite! So when I had an opportunity last evening to watch Raya, a delightful Omani lady of about 35, from Al Amerat at close quarters making her delicious pancakes, it was something that I really enjoyed and hopefully learnt from as well. In future, I certainly hope to try out something like the ones I had and will keep you posted on my progress.

Raya busy making the pancakes

Here is the recipe and method  for these delicious honey drizzled pancakes, which can be easily made at home 

Ingredients

1 cup of brown or white flour 
2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Butter and honey

Cooking Instructions

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, water, salt and ground cardamom. 

Beat well with a spoon. 

Making sure the colour and consistency are just right.

Pour about 1/8 cup of batter on a hot and lightly greased griddle.

She flips them over , they look almost done

Cook until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook until the other side is also a golden brown. Drizzle with a little butter. 

Pour honey over it and serve hot.

My plate, I got an extra pancake. 4 for 300 Baisas as I was  her first customer

They were absolutely delicious and I was seriously tempted to go back for another plate but the aroma of Omani Halwa close by tempted me. Of course that was my next stop. 

It will also be my next blog entry ...