O for Oman ~ Khabeesa

Event: BM #44, Around the World (A - Z Series)
Choice of Country: The Sultanate of Oman
Capital City: Muscat
Official Language: Omani Arabic

And it's time for the "O" country today and obviously it had to be Oman since this Arabic nation is the only one that starts with the alphabet "O". The Omani cuisine is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods. It borrows Asian tastes and flavors and incorporates them into typical Omani dishes that are palate pleasing. Rice is a staple while Omani dishes are often based around chicken, fish, and lamb. Most Omani dishes tend to contain a rich mixture of spices, herbs, and marinades. 
I had bookmarked a few Omani recipes from Nestlé site and mostly was leaning towards the mugasgas. Those sweet, puffy triangles caught my attention at the first sight. However yesterday when I started the preparation, I realized that unknowingly I already had cooked 4 deep fried dishes for this week. I therefore had to steer away from there to this yummy and quick semolina pudding, khabeesa. 

I prepared khabeesa twice - once pre-roasting the semolina and once without roasting. In India it is a common practice to roast semolina before using it in any dish to avoid it to turn lumpy while cooking. And so I roasted the semolina by default. This dish doesn't need the prior roasting of semolina and the consistency of khabeesa is similar to a soft version halwa. Cardamom, rose water and saffron add aromatic flavors to delicious khabeesa.

Please note that if you follow the (original) recipe to the T, then you will end up with a cloyingly sweet khabeesa. I would recommend adding less sweetened condensed milk than the recipe mentions or use unsweetened condensed milk and add sugar to taste. I have adjusted the ingredients below to suit my palate.

Ingredients: (2 -3 servings)
1/4 cup semolina
3/4 cup milk (at room temperature / warm)
2 - 3 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp butter 
1/4 tsp ground cardamom 
1/2 tsp rosewater
A pinch of saffron threads
Slivered pistachio to garnish (optional)

Method 1:
* Combine semolina and milk in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. 
* Now add the remaining ingredients except the pistachio to the pan. Continue to cook for about 8 - 10 minutes, stirring in between.  
* Transfer the cooked khabeesa to individual serving bowls and let it cool. The mixture considerably thickens once it cools down.
* Garnish with nuts if desired.

Method 2:
*Toast semolina on low flame until it starts to change the color.
* Boil milk, butter and condensed milk together in a sauce pan. Add semolina slowly, constantly stirring with a sturdy spatula so that the mixture would not turn lumpy.
* Allow the mixture to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring in between. Add cardamom, rose water and saffron threads at the final stages of cooking.
* When the mixture is done, turn off the stove and pour in individual bowls for serving. The mixture considerably thickens once it cools down and reaches a soft halwa consistency. Garnish with slivered pistachio if desired and serve.

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