- Weather
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Max |
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40°C |
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Min |
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30°C |
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Sunrise |
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05 : 30 AM |
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Sunset |
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06 : 30 PM |
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Humidity |
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50 to 80 per cent |
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- Prayer Time
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Fajar |
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03:56 am |
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Dhuhr |
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12:09 pm |
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Asar |
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03:30 pm |
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Magrib |
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06:51 pm |
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Isha |
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08:11 pm |
- Oil Price
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- Gold Price
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Price in RO
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24ct / gm |
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17.37 |
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22ct / gm |
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17.00 |
- Currency Rates
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Forex Rates vs R01
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US Dollar |
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2.60 |
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Euro |
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2.01 |
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Pound |
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1.72 |
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Indian Rs. |
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144.42 |
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Pak Rs. |
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255.85 |
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Bangla Taka |
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201.35 |
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Culinary skills: Khubz rakhal, pooris, harees, fatta,boiled chickpeas and shorba are among the many dishes on offer in the enclosure where women from different parts of the Sultanate are trying their culinary skills. With nominal rates charged for each of the dishes, this enclosure is filled with visitors. Photo – Talib Al Wahaibi/Times of Oman
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Muscat: There is a special corner at the Muscat Festival's Al Amerat Park that is every gourmet's delight. Here, women from different parts of the Sultanate work under one roof to cook delicious traditional Omani dishes for eager gastronomes.
Khubz rakhal, pooris, harees, fatta, boiled chickpeas and shorba are among the many dishes on offer.
And a menu with the cost of each item is on display to avoid any kind of haggling.
With nominal rates charged for each of the dishes, this area has many takers, too. In fact, each year, this area is always spilling over with people.
The women, sitting atop an elevated area amidst stoves, ingredients, huge vessels, spoons, knives and smoke, hardly have any free time to talk with the customers thronging the area.
Rasha Amri, an Omani customer eating a traditional khubz rakhal says, "It is a fact, that as Omanis we hardly get to eat traditional dishes in our homes. With most of our changing nuclear families, most working women don't have time to cook these delicious recipes anymore. What they are serving here is truly delicious."
Expatriates are also enjoying the opportunity to taste authentic Omani food. "These dishes are distinctive in taste. It is very unlike Indian food, which is on the spicy side," says an Indian expatriate, relishing a bowl of fatta."That is because we don't use undue amounts of spices. We moderately use cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, saffron and turmeric," explains Hameeda, who is among the women cooking.
Hameeda has a group of customers waiting for the piping hot khubz rakhal she is serving.
It is interesting to watch her make the khubz rakhal. She first sprinkles water on the pre-heated griddle, takes the prepared dough, rolls it into a ball and literally smears the dough onto the griddle with her bare hands. When the khubz starts becoming crispy, she breaks an egg (optional) on top and, with the help of a spoon, spreads it onto the khubz. Once this is done, she serves it hot for her waiting customers.
And, like Hameeda, her friends are cooking different dishes and there are many takers for the boiled chickpeas preparation and pooris.
Popularity
"I think it is popular because it is easy on the stomach and to have it hot in this cold weather makes them feel good," says another woman, who is cooking up huge vessels of boiled peas.
According to a Muscat Festival volunteer, these women offering the taste of authentic, traditional and real Omani food for Omanis, as well as expatriates, are very popular with the visitors.
"They have been participating in Muscat Festival for quite some time now. They are brought back every year by popular demand."
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