Iftar Specials 

Appetizer 

Fried fish Hara

Chef Mohammed Marzook
Oriental chef, InterContinental Hotel Muscat

Ingredients

Fish marination

One whole hammour (around 1kg), cleaned and gutted
15gm chopped garlic
5gm cumin powder
5gm paprika powder
3gm chili powder
20ml olive oil
10ml lemon juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Hara sauce

20ml olive oil
25gm chopped onions
15gm chopped garlic
50 gm tomato paste
One bay leaf
250ml fish stock
5gm cumin powder
5gm coriander powder
50gm pine nut roasted
75gm tomatoes chopped
10gm coriander chopped
15ml lemon juice
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Tahina sauce

150gm tahina paste
10gm cumin powder
15gm garlic chopped
100ml ice water
50ml olive oil

Method

Marinate the fish with all the ingredients; keep overnight. Roast in oven at 160C (time depends on the size of the fish).

Hara sauce preparation: Saut onions and garlic with olive oil, and cumin and coriander powder; add tomato paste, bay leaf and fish stock. Cook for 15 minutes. Finish the sauce with lemon juice, pine nut and fresh coriander.

Tahina sauce preparation: Blend all the ingredients together. Keep aside.

To serve

Pour the hara sauce on a tray, place the fish on top of it; serve with tahina sauce.

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Main course

Shish Tawouk

Chef Majid Al Balushi
Sous Chef, Grand Hyatt

Ingredients

Chicken marination

750gm chicken thigh cubes
10gm garlic
5gm salt
30ml olive oil
5gm tomato paste
5gm white pepper
25ml white vinegar
25ml lemon juice

Bread topping

Four pieces of medium-sized Lebanese bread
50gm finely chopped parsley and tomatoes
2gm dry mint powder
10ml pomegranate molasses
40gm finely chopped onion
4gm cumin powder
10gm chili paste

Salad Garnish

50gm sliced onion
10gm parsley leaves
4gm sumac

Method

Chicken marination: Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients. Put the marinated chicken cubes on the skewers then char grill it. Grill vegetables alongside.

For the bread: Mix the chopped tomato, onion, parsley, chili paste, olive oil, cumin powder, pomegranate molasses, some salt and white pepper together for the bread filling. Now take a small amount of chili paste and a small pinch of cumin powder, mix together and add a small amount of olive oil to make a paste.

Spread the top of the bread with a thin layer of the paste. Sprinkle the bread filling over the bread and grill. Retain to one side.

To serve

Take one piece of plain bread and lay this on a serving plate. Remove the chicken from the skewer and place the chicken on the bread.

Cut the bread with the tomato mix into eight triangles. Now place this on top of the meat.

Mix the salad garnish together and place next to the shish tawouk.

Finally, take the grilled salad vegetables and lay it on the plate. Serve immediately

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Karkade (Hibiscus tea)

Ingredients

One cup dried hibiscus petals
Five cups of water 
Sugar or honey to taste 

Method

Put the dried hibiscus petals in a pan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes.

At this point, you can serve your hibiscus tea hot, add sugar or honey to taste.

If you prefer Iced Hibiscus Tea, then let the tea cool. After it has cooled, filter the tea into a jug, cover and put in the refrigerator to chill.

Add sugar and serve chilled.

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Dessert

Mohalabia

Abel Vieilleville
Executive pastry chef, The Chedi Muscat

Ingredients

500gm milk
30gm rose water
Three cardamom pods
100gm white sugar
50gm corn flour
40gm coconut powder
20gm pistachio nuts (chopped)
20gm almonds (sliced and roasted)
Four to six saffron threads

Method

Bring the milk and cardamom pods to boiling point in a heavy based saucepan.

Combine the sugar and corn flour in a heat-proof bowl.

Pour the boiling milk over the sugar and flour, mix together using a whisk.

Pour the mixture back into a clean pot and cook slowly on medium/low heat, stirring continually until thickened slightly like custard.

Add the rose water, coconut powder, half of the pistachio and almonds.

Transfer into a serving bowl; scatter the remaining nuts and saffron across the top and allow to cool.