Bhel Puri

But Salalah did not end with only the visit to Darbat. Before we entered Salalah, we travelled more than 1000 kilometers from Muscat, covering almost 700 kilometers of desert area and witnessing sweltering heat because of the peak summer month. As we were nearing the Dhofar region, we were welcomed by cool breeze even though we were still driving on the highway surrounded by sand dunes and desert on both sides and an infinite sight of only brown land with dry vegetation scattered here and there.

All through the journey, I was wondering how this heat is going to change into shivering cold as we approach Salalah. So we stopped at a famous farm called the Frankincense farm (which Salalah is famous for). This farm is huge and dry with the frankincense tress scattered here and there (hardly a farm's look it had), but it was so windy that we felt as if we will be blown away. A wonderful welcome to the paradise of Oman called Salalah.

Have a look of the pictures of the Frankincense farm. These pictures were shot at almost 4 p.m. The Frankincense is the beads like liquid found on the bark of these trees and it is in the solidified state. It is scrapped and removed and sold in the markets as it produces a beautiful odour when burned. It is widely used in Arabian homes, religious ceremonies etc.

It is more than a year since I toured this lovely place. Now we are almost at the end of the summer season here in Oman. So the heat isn't so bad .

Overall, this time summer really surprised us. We had bad days only in the month of June. The rest of the months was very tolerable and not as bad as the previous years. So we were able to spend a good amount of time outdoors watching sun sets and enjoying nature. Don’t you love the way the sky lights up with the orange-yellow glow while the sun disappears down the horizon? I thoroughly enjoyed the Friday sunsets especially because Friday is the day when the day is all yours and you enjoy the weekend idling away the time and relaxing.

To compliment this post, I should also say that the best way to spend a Friday evening is to have light street food - it can also be ridiculously easily prepared at home by throwing in a few chopped vegetables, spices and puffed rice. Put them in a paper cone and munch it to glory. We call this as the Bhel puri in India. It is a popular street food and we all love it so much. No rolling. No cut-outs. No scraping, No baking and No cooking. Whee! I can tell you this story with some carrots, onions and tomatoes with a dash of chilli - best enjoyed on a cold, rainy winter night. So walk the bar with this smashing appetizer.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups puffed rice
 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp. ground green chillis with a handful of coriander leaves(ground coarsely)

2 tbsp. sev

 

 

 

 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1) Mix all the above ingredients and serve immediately.

 

Crispy Fish fingers

 

 

For the last one week, we have been witnessing overcast skies with a dull looking sun peeping out from behind the clouds. Yet the heat wave has been gripping us with humidity reaching the peak levels.

 

I have been hearing about great weather in my home country and no wonder I’m feeling so nostalgic about the cool monsoon rains back home.

 

But all this reminds me of a rainy day on our first day trip to the paradise of Oman called Salalah. Let me brief you about this tour.

 

Darbat was the name of the place we visited on our day one of Salalah trip. The scenery here was thrillingly beautiful - simply breathtaking.  Indeed, it made for a delightful experience and I bookmarked it to be a frenetic, pulsating hub of Dhofar region's old quarter which nestled above a cosy cave for one to relax and tiny streams of water silently making their way into the vegetation. 

 

Relaxing by the shallow waters of the streams surrounded by lush green plantations and steep mountain peaks, we captured spectacular shots of the country side engulfed in a hazy mist.

 

The view from the cave was awe-inspiring and offered us a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.

 

I couldn't help but share these lovely pictures with you all - taken from a blackberry smartphone.

 

To compliment my showery memories. I decided to post the fish fingers recipe today. This is an easy-to-make version of our favorite restaurant starter. Tender fish fillet fresh from the water are fried to crispy perfection—they'll melt in your mouth at the first bite! You can lighten this up with a marinade of few ingredients and fry them to a crispy perfection.

 

A word of warning: getting the fingers to hold shape while frying can be tricky. The key is to dredge them in corn flour before frying. 

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

2 slices fish fillets 

1 tbsp. red chilli sauce 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tsp Garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Salt – To taste
2 tbsp. corn flour
1 cup Bread crumbs (plain or panko) /crushed corn flakes

Oil – To deep fry

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Cut the fish fillets into long strips , the size of your forefingers.

 

2) Marinate fish pieces with the red chilli sauce, powders, salt and 1 tbsp. corn flour. Freeze this for an hour or so that the powders sink into the fish flesh.

 

3) Remove it out of the freezer half an hour before frying and heat the oil in a wok.

 

4)  Mix the other tablespoon of corn flour in a bowl with some water, dip each fish finger in it, roll into bread crumbs and drop in hot oil.

5) For a crispier crust, dip them again in the corn flour liquid and then in bread crumbsbefore frying.

 

6)  Deep fry the breaded fish pieces for about 5 – 6 minutes until they are browned on all sides. Enjoy with ketchup or hot sauce.
 

 

 

Egg with veggies

Where do the weekends go? I can't imagine how soon the weekends just pass off. By the time you get the real feeling that you are going through the weekend, Saturday afternoons arrive. Overall, weekends are a much welcome slowdown from the normal frenzy of activities.

 Last week, I took an off on the last working day of the week (Thursday). Wednesday evening looked so heavenly that I felt that Sunday morning needs an eternity to reach us. Thursday at home with the little one was blissful and when you are happy, you are energetic also. And that means the hob will take up an extra load of cooking.

For me blissfulness means, it has to be celebrated with color, tranquility and elegance. So scanning through my written recipes bunch, I found a simple, rustic and delicious side dish that pairs beautifully with  rice and pickle.

Eggs were my first choice. They are the best super foods anyone can consume. They are the most versatile of all ingredients in the kitchen and are my first choice to bind, thicken or lighten a dish, and served to suit your individual taste.

To keep it all light and effortless, I dropped a few eggs in boiling water to harden them. Once done, I peeled them, separated the egg whites from the yolks and cut the egg whites in cubes. Chopped a few vegetables of different colors to bring in the splashy look of hue to the dish. The vibrant color shines from every angle of the dish bringing into your kitchen an inspiring combination of indulgent spices. So slathered with homemade condiments with a powerful combination of proteins and vegetables, this dish is surely a crowd pleaser.

Overall ,this is a side dish with a sophisticated twist for eggs comined with vegetables.I have been savouring this dish from quite recently. A good one to be served with a light meal like dal & rice.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup egg whites, boiled and cubed

1 cup veggies (carrot, beans and cabbage, yellow capsicum, ), chopped

I tomato chopped

1 teaspoon split black lentils (urad dal)

¼ cup onion, quartered and finely sliced

½ teaspoon ginger, shredded

2 small green chilies, sliced

10 curry leaves

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 ½ tablespoon oil

salt, to taste

 

 

 

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Boil eggs and cool them. Peel tham and separate the egg whites from the yolks.

2) Cube the egg whites and keep aside.

3) Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and cook until they crackle, add lentils and fry till golden..

4) Stir in onion, curry leaves, slit green chili and ginger and cook for 2 minutes till onions are soft.

5) Add in the veggies, tomatoes with salt and chili powder and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender.

6)  Add the egg and gently toss everything together for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm. 

Dates Halwa

The other day we had a kind Omani friend of ours drop in our house and hand us two full boxes of red dates grown in his garden. They tasted so good and were quite fleshy. But two full boxes of dates .... ??? I know we cant eat all of them. Scratching my head for a catchy jingle in vain, I toyed with ideas for milk shakes, sweets etc. It was only after a good scanning of the web that I thought that I should be more proactive and convert these sensational fruits into a dessert topped with more dry fruits and chill it so that it can be consumed any time of the day. Also,with the heat getting unbearable and the energies draining out, we love to chill our fruits and salads to refresh ourselves.The result was amazing.

Needless to say, Dates are the crowning glory at all Omani home. With sticky, ruby juices oozing out, they pair beautifully with anything from such choice of a hearty breakfast to start the day. I know that a healthy breakfast should always include some warm, bubbling fruit topped with sweet, crunchy crumble. But it is not many times in a week that we can have this for breakfast except for weekends when we have ample time to prepare a hearty meal.

I don't recommend Halwa for breakfast even though dates are loaded with soluble and insoluble fibres that can keep our bowels perfectly healthy. Because this halwa contains ingredients that are ideal for the Dessert table.




So this is how I made the dates halwa :


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 kg dates, washed and deseeded

1/2 cup ghee/clarified butter
250 gm khoya
1/2 cup semolina (sooji)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. rose water

 To Decorate:

50 gm almonds, chopped
50 gm pistachio, chopped
A handful of sliced dates

 

 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1)  Boil the deseeded dates in hot water for ten minutes or until soft.

 

2)  Blend them coarsely in a mixer.

 

3) Heat clarified butter in a vessel, add the semolina and roast it till it shows a light brownish color.

 

4) Add the dates puree and mix well. Cook this till it starts to thicken.

 

5) Add the sugar and the Khoya and combine till thick and ghee starts to leave the sides of the vessel.

 

6) At this stage add the rose water. Cook for 5 more minutes and transfer the same to a serving dish.

 

7) Decorate the Halwa with the chopped nuts and dates.

 

 

     

Flaky Chicken fry

Changes in life and that too so many !!! 

Yes, I witnessed several changes in life in the past week giving me a mixed feeling on how to handle the new tumbling and twisting path that life provided. Life is always throwing surprises at us every now and then. But when many surprises come at once, we ought to get overwhelmed.

So much has happened these last few days, I could probably pen it all down. It’s mainly just time that’s preventing me from updating all this here. And it is sometimes hard to write down all about a week because  most issues silently take a backseat in my memory and it is tough to recollect the events in order.

But no matter what happens, I make it a point to try something new in my kitchen every week. Something or the other - either it makes me learn something new or trying out again something which had gone wrong in the past attempts. And I know that I enjoy both the experiences. Several recipes this way line up in my drafts and one by one they make their way on the home page.

On a recent visit to the supermarket, my eyes fell on the tiny packets of different seasonings arranged neatly on the shelf. I had seen them several times but never made an attempt to pick them up. I bought them without any idea of what I would do with them.

 So in an attempt to script my wayward thoughts, I decided to try out a flaky recipe here - its easy and so crispy, that you can even hear the crackling sound as you bite into it and eat. We’re talking skinless, boneless chicken with major flavor. And I must confess here that with this tasty 5-star recipe, poultry gets a kick in the pants. You can give a whirl to the dish by adding in some extra spices and see what new astounding flavours it gives.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms boneless chicken cubes/strips

Marinade:

1 egg beaten
1 small sachet Chicken seasoning (I used Knorr and sometimes use Maggi also)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp. corn flour powder
I tbsp. red chilli/hot sauce

 

For the Flaky dip:

1 bowl crushed corn flakes or bread crumbs or crushed vermicelli

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Marinate the chicken with the marinade list of ingredients.

2) Keep in the refrigerator(freezer preferably) for atleast 2 hours

3) Just before frying remove it out and dip each cube in the crushed corn flakes bowl and deep fry in hot oil.

 

 

4) You can also make use of chicken stock powder if you do not have seasonings at home.