6 Apr 2009

Visiting friends


Today is like any other day here except its a working day. As usual we woke up around 5,50am so we couldn't go to to the masjid to pray fajar. We praye din our rooms instead.
After that we went down for breakfast but the fried rice looked so unappetising and the dining room was over crowded. We went to the Bangla place opposite the hotel instead and had parratta there. The parratta was so huge and delicious - I think my diet is going kaput here. Everything is so nice I keep on eating!
That night after Ishaq prayers we were invited for dinner at a friend's house. He was actually a friend of a friend - Ton's that is. His name was Mat and he was  a Patani born in Arabia. He grew up in Saudi, Mekah to be exact and went to Kind Abdul Aziz University, and is now working at the Haj Ministry.

We went to his house where we met his lovely young wife and three small children - 2 girls and a boy who was only about 8 months old. Nasriyah his wife had prepared a lovely Arab rice dish and the recipe is here:
Arab Rice (to serve 6 people)

6 cups rice and 6 cups water
1 cup Arab mushroom (specially dried mushrooms mixed with herbs)

2 sticks cinnamon
1tablespn cumin powder
3 tablespns ketumbar (Dried curry powder)
1 tablespn peppercorns (do not crush)
2 large onions sliced thickly
3 pieces of garlic (crushed)
a handful of buah pelaga ( cardomoms)

The beef
Mix the beef with salt, maggie chicken cubes, the cumin powder, cardomons, and rest of herbs in a pot of water. Boil the beef in it using the above ingredients. Take the beef out after its  half cooked.

Using the same water, add the rice and boil again. This time let the rice boil until almost cooked, then add the beef.  Drain the water and set aside.

In a large pot, fry the large onions, buah pelaga, cumin etc. Add the half cooked rice and beef. Cook together until well mixed and cooked. Add the mushrooms and leave for about 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked.

Serve with cucumber salad, leafy slads with grated carrots mixed with onions and diced tomatoes.

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