Thursday, 30 September 2010

Chapati


Bismilahi er-rahman elrahim

Chapati has been mainly introduced to Oman by Omanis who lived in Zanzibar and the East coast of Tanzania Now. Zanzibar and the areas in the coast were under Oman, conquered in the seventeenth century till the last century.

I would guess that it started with people living there who originally are from the Indian sub-continent. Whether this is called chapati or not in these areas I am not sure, but it is known as chapati in Oman.

Ingredients:

These ingredients will give you six medium-sized chapatis
2 glasses of flour (I mix 1 cup of all purpose flour and a cup of wholewheat flour)
2 tbs powdered milk
2 tbs ghee
1 tsp salt
1 glass water

المقادير:
كوبين طحين (كوب طحين ابيض, وكوب طحين اسمر)
ملعقتي طعام حليب باودر
ملعقتي طعام سمن
ملعقة شاي ملح
كوب ماء

Method:
  • Mix all ingredients, knead the dough in a floured surface, add more flour if it sticks and knead till you get a smooth dough, the longer time you knead the better
  • divide into 3 balls
  • use a rolling pin, roll the balls till they are very thin, don't focus on them being perfectly round because it's not your last step. Add a little less than a teaspoon of ghee and rub over the chapati, the next pictures show you what to do next.

  • Here you might need to hold the mid-part of the chapati so it doesn't be pulled while you roll.



  • Here you will need to squeeze them to be sort of flat. the corn-shaped one move the top part in circular motion as you move down,I don't know if I am clear!


  • Heat a pan (low heat), roll into not very thin chapatis, cook till you see puffy chapati, and turn it to the other side, in this step always increase the heat to moderate, and squeeze the chapati a little.


  • Turn the chapati again but now add a tsp of greese, turn it back and squeeze it.

  • Turn it again to the other side for few seconds, and remove it to the plate.

I hope I was clear. Chapatis are served anytime, with breakfast we have them with milk tea or herbal tea. Or at lunch or dinner with curry or salad.

Tuesday, 28 September 2010

Beef Stew


Bismillah elrahman elrahim

Beef stew (maraq laham)

I love this dish, we have it with white rice (it is put on the rice)
and salad for lunch. It is so simple yet delicious.

Ingredients:

1 kg beef cubes
2 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
1 small tomato peeled and cut
5-8 garlic cloves, mashed
1 tbs ginger, mashed
carrot+onion+ cauliflower (optional)
water (around three glasses or more)
black pepper, salt and lemon (to your flavour)
Coriander

Method:
  • marinate the beef with garlic, ginger, salt and pepper
  • put the marinated beef in a pan, add water that almost covers the meet, cover and cook.
  • if the meat is taking long time to cook, keep checking the water, you might need to add more
  • check the meat, when it is nearly done, add potatoes
  • then add tomato
  • when the meet is tender, add lemon juice and coriander leaves, and it is ready to be served.