Fruity Frozen Candies

A few weeks back we had a weekend with an overcast sky and a windy morning. We wondered if it could be raining in the Interior regions of Oman and since we were free for the weekend, we decided to go on a long drive to enjoy this unique weather.

We ended up reaching a beautiful city called Nizwa filled with thousands of Date Palms and is around 140 Kms from Muscat.


The city of Nizwa

After a long 1.5 hour drive,we did not find any rain here when we arrived, but we were so glad that we visited this place as we explored so many places here before driving back to Muscat late in the evening.
 

Date Palms view from the Nizwa fort roof top

 

The Book Roundabout in Nizwa



A structure on the roundabout in Nizwa

Our tour managed to cover up with the history, local life & culture of this oldest city of Oman which has been an important centre of trade,education and historical places here. Our starting point of this one day tour was the popular Nizwa Fort which traces the history of this city which was soon followed by a quick lunch and a short drive through the streets thus exploring this city and admiring its scenery which has mountains sorrounding it from all sides. The view from the roof top of the fort is very impressive and offers a panaromic view of the sorrounding landscape.

Nizwa Fort



Nizwa Fort Interiors

During the late afternoon, we reached the traditional Souq and began our walking tour of the labyrinthine alleyways. Here one gets to mingle with the residents of the city. The shops here beckon you with a myriad of merchandise from colorful imported fabrics to arabian costumes sold at reasonable rates and exotic arabian perfumes,oriental spices and handmade artifacts. Scents of exotic arabian spices float through the air thus making it a delightful experience.

Entrance to the Nizwa Souq

 

Some of the shops in Souq that sell pottery

 

Beautiful carvings in the Souq

The Souq depicts a picture of rich traditions and is refurbished with traditonal furnitures,beautifully carved ceilings and doors and also houses a beautiful Mosque which has a distinctive minaret & dome. The houses sorrounding this area are intricately carved and are a sight to behold.



Nizwa Souq Mosque

As Dusk descended the city, we sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee and then drove back through the date palms delighting in the views of the magnificient fort and the traditional buildings glittering under lights thus returning to the highway to get back on our way to Muscat.


Nizwa Fort & Mosque under lights

An experience worth sharing and the pictures depicts the rest.
So coming to the recipe of the day:

Summer is the time we all like to rustle up with several coolers & frozen treats. Nothing screams summer as much as these frozen treats. The effect of this unbearable heat makes you crave for chilled foods and that is how I decided to convert some fruits in my refirgerator into frozen candies. Here is how I did it:

INGREDIENTS:

Any Fruit's juice/whole fruit - I generally use watermelon, strawberries, orange, apple, banana, kiwis etc
1/4 cup milk/ yogurt
Sugar (optional)
A few Candy sticks or Tooth picks
Moulds/small glasses(preferebly the plastic use & throw ones)

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Chop the fruits and beat each of them seperately in a blender with some milk/Yogurt and sugar to collect their juices.

2) Pour their juices in moulds/plastic glasses and allow to semi-set it in the freezer of your refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes atleast.

3) When half set, insert the candy sticks or tooth picks in it and allow it to set for 3-4 hours before they are ready for serving.

4) If you like to have them in double/multi-colors, fill the mould/cup with some juice of one fruit, then allow it to set for 30-40 minutes, when semi solid, pour in another colored fruit and repeat step 3 till you get candies of desired shapes and colors.

5) For pure fruit candies, you can eliminate milk and yogurt and follow same procedure.

6) For custard candies, you can make some custard which is not very thick, chop some fruits into it and then allow to set in moulds.

7) To detach from the mould before serving, just run some warm water over the mould and the candies are ready to be served.

RATING NOTES:

               DIFFICULTY LEVEL    :   Easy
              RATING  POINTS         :    9/10