An Omani Feast - Hummus with pita, Saloonah Laham (meat stew) and Apricots

As procrastination goes, I am often brilliantly able.  The month of November quickly overtook me and before I knew it my plans of an Omani feast were about to fall by the wayside.  Almost.  And then I remembered that November was the time of another feast - Thanksgiving.  Of course, it would sound subversive to relate the idea that the entire menu for one of the most hallowed of American holidays should come from the Middle East; but, as with all ideas, their acceptance would depend on the packaging. 

With a family full of folks who, for years, balk at the idea of forcibly eating turkey, I appealed to their greater culinary ideals.  Perhaps, I suggested, it might be fun to try something new.  Perhaps we are progressive enough, I implied, that we could forgo all of the typical dishes in favor of some more interesting ones.  Perhaps.  And, to my surprise, everyone seemed keen.

Without recounting the microscopic details of the entire dinner, let me just say that it was a hodgepodge of Middle Eastern fare with remnants of various countries represented at the table.  Oman, without question, was one of them.  And, as a result, one of the most prominent and favored dishes of the dinner was one taken from an Omani recipe; one of the most simple (though not necessarily unique only to Oman) - hummus.  Ridiculously easy to make but still somehow deliciously memorable, it ranked as one of the best things I have ever made wholly in a food processor.  Try it and see if your results are the same.  And, if you're brave, perhaps next year you can partake of my new Thanksgiving tradition by having an "ethnic" dinner.  After all, turkey and cranberries are SO 1621!

Hummus - Ingredients:

• 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) 
• 1 medium-sized clove of garlic (or ½ of a big clove)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons sesame seed paste (tahina)
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• a pinch of cayenne (red) pepper

Hummus - Instructions:

1. Strain the garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid.
2. Put the garbanzo beans and all of the other ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix well.
3. Add from the reserved liquid, 1 spoon at a time, just enough to get the mixture to run smoothly in the blender (you will not need to add all of the liquid).  Run the machine for about 20 seconds after each addition of liquid. The final product should be thick, not runny.
4. Spoon into a bowl or plate. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired.  Eat with pita or other soft flat bread.

Of course, not to be forgotten was the Saloonah Laham (which roughly translates to meat stew).  I differed my way of making this from the original recipe due to time constraints.  While the recipe calls for boiling the meat for several hours in a pot of hot water, I opted to sear the meat and then add the liquids for a fast-slow cook afterwards.  Perhaps realizing the error of my ways too late, I almost burned the meat this way.  I now acknowledge openly that it is not always possible to transform old recipes into modern, time-saving versions.  I intend to try this again, later on, when I have hours to kill and patience by my side. 

Saloonah Laham - Ingredients:

• Meat for 4-5 people (Lamb, mutton, Beef or camel - I thought it a fun touch of keep this one in!)
• 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 Tablespoon of turmeric powder
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3-4 cups of fresh vegetables chopped in big pieces (carrots, zucchini, Eggplant, green beans, potatoes, okra and/or bell pepper)
• 3 Tablespoons of Omani mixed spices (or 1 Tablespoon ground coriander, 1 Tablespoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and a couple of whole cloves)
• 3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
• 3 Tablespoons of fresh, chopped cilantro or parsley (optional)
• Fresh hot peppers or ground cayenne pepper, to taste
• Salt or bouillon, to taste

Saloonah Laham - Instructions:

1. Leave some meat on the bones (if any) and cut the rest into 1 inch cubes. In a large pan, bring about 7 cups of water to boil. Add the meat. In a few minutes, skim off the foam that collects on the top of the water with a spoon. Add the smashed garlic and turmeric powder. Cover and boil for a few hours, until the meat starts to get tender.
2. Add the chopped Onion, tomato, vegetables, and the rest of the ingredients. Boil until the meat and all of the vegetables are very tender. Add water, if needed, to make it as dry or as soupy as you like it.
3. Serve the "saloonah" over white rice.

And, finally, dessert.  Can you believe it's as simple as apricots.  On a plate.  Nothing more, nothing less?!  Sometimes I forget that fruit, what my mom would often call "nature's candy," is often the best end to a meal.  I just hope my sweet-tooth will allow me to remember this later on. 


(The original recipe for hummus came from this website: http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/QUICK_HUMMUS)
(The original recipe for saloonah laham came from this website: http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/SALOONAH_LAHAM_-_meat_stew)

Oman

Capital City - Muscat
Currency - Omani Rial
Population - 2,845,000 (2009 estimate)
National Language - Arabic
Religion - Almost all of the nation of Oman is considered to be Islamic.  Of that group, 75% are Ibadhi, a denomination that is neither Shia nor Sunni.  Sunni Muslims make up about 17% of the population while Imani Shia Muslims and Zikri form an additional 8%.  Though there are no formal records kept by the government of Oman, some sources indicate that perhaps as many as 5% of the people practice a religion other than Islam.  Those faiths may include Chrisitianity, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Type of Government - Islamic Absolute Monarchy
Leaders - Qaboos bin Said al Said (Sultan); Fahd bin Mahmoud al Said (Deputy Prime Minister)
Country's Motto - While the country has no official motto, Sultan Qaboos bin Said has coined something simlar to a motto when he proclaimed "progress with respect for heritage."

Geographical Highlights - The Sultanate of Oman is a country in southwest Asia which occupies the southeastern corner of the Arabian peninsula.  It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the Indian Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Oman to the north.  The country also includes Madha and Musandam, two enclaves on the Gulf of Oman and just south of the Strait of Hormuz.  A vast desert plain covers most of the country, with the exception of the Al Hajar mountains along the north and southeast coast.  It is in this mountainous region and fertile plain where most of the major cities of Oman reside.

History - Wattayah, located in modern day Muscat, is the oldest known human settlement dating around 5,000 years.  Oman was also referred to as Majan in Sumerian tablets.  From the 6th century B.C. until the time that Islam was introduced, in the 7th century A.D., Oman was ruled by three Persian dynasties: the Achaemenids, the Parthians and the Sassanids.  When these dynasties ended and Islam was introduced, the Omanis were among the first group of people to accept the new religion.  Thus, it has remained a Muslim nation ever since. 

In the early 16th century, the Portugese conquered Omani ports, but local Arabs successfully forced them out by 1650.  The Al Bu Said family began their rule of the nation in 1740 until present day.  British influence, which was felt since the late 18th century, caused the arrangement of national power to be dispursed to the imams in all areas of the country except for the coastal region.  The Sultan, who controlled the coastal region, finally overturned this arrangement and took complete control of Oman in 1959.

Landmarks -

•Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque - Famous mosque in Ruwi is able to house 20,000 people in prayer.  An amazing feature to look for is the hand-woven Iranian rug which took over four years to create.
•Mirani Fort - The red-stoned fort sits atop Muscat harbor, an old reminder of the country's turbulent history.  Built in the 1580's by the Portugese to defend the land against Turkish warship invasion, it is now home of the Omani army.
•Al Alam Palace - The palace of Sultan Qaboos bin Said is said to be one of opulence.  Of course, visitors are not allowed inside; but, the outside is a sight to be seen in itself.

Interesting Trivia -

•The Gravity Point, a thirty-minute drive from Salalah, is where your vehicle will roll uphill even if you switch off its engine. This phenomenon can be experienced over a stretch of 200 meters.
•With 2869 oil producing wells in Oman, the economy is driven by oil and about 40 per cent of the GDP is accounted for by oil. The major countries that buy crude from Oman are China, Thailand, Korea and Japan.
•Oman was once one of the richest countries in the world - its wealth came from the trade in incense.
•Tourists were only allowed into Oman at the beginning of the 1990s.
•Oman is traditionally known for breeding Arab horses.
•Omani men wear the long robes known as dishdashas and carry curved daggers known as khanja. Turbans are also part of the national dress.