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The winning combination
Recipes we’ve featured in past issues of Oman Today – from the chefs who won the Restaurant Awards
Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal has been serving excellent food ever since 1984. It won the Best Restaurant Award for Indian cuisine thrice, and its views over the city are as good as its food. It boasts a main dining room, banquet hall and two lawns that can hold a combined figure of more than 1,500 diners. The restaurant specialises in north Indian Mughlai cuisine, made from recipes it does not
usually give out. It is also a classic example of the art of bhunao (a way of stir-frying) in Indian cuisine and a signature flourish of its excellent cooks.
Nambi Raja, executive chef, began working here over a decade ago. Back then it was in the CCC complex but in 1997 it was
relocated to its current glorious location atop the Qurm fountain and Raja helped make good this transition by revamping the menu. “The restaurant is like my baby,” he says and you can see that
he’s really passionate about what he does.
Aloo Salaad Anarkali
To serve four
Potato 600g
Bengal gram 150g
Soda bicarbonate a pinch
Salt to taste
Fresh pomegranate 50g
Fresh lemon juice 75ml
Cumin powder10g
Chaat masala 10g
Groundnut or salad oil 75ml
Fresh mint leaves 20g
An onion
A tomato
Preparation (approximately 40 minutes)
Boil, cool, peel and cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes. Soak the gram overnight in a haandi, drain, replenish with fresh water, add a pinch of soda bicarbonate and salt, and boil until tender. Shell the pomegranate and keep aside half of the fruit for garnish. For the dressing, mix lemon juice, cumin powder and chaat masala with groundnut oil. Adjust to your taste. You may like to add a pinch of red chilli powder.
To garnish, wash some fresh mint leaves, then peel and wash and cut a medium sized onion into rings. Wash and cut fresh tomatoes into rings too – use these over the salad. Mix potatoes, boiled gram and pomegranate in a glass bowl, pour on the dressing and toss gently. Arrange onions and tomatoes on the edges, and sprinkle the leftover pomegranate and mint leaves on top. Serve chilled. |
The Chedi
You’re in the company of stars at The Restaurant. In fifteen years, Enrico Wahl has worked in several Michelin star restaurants around the world, including Germany and Luxembourg. In 1998, he was offered the role of head chef to open one of New York’s most highly acclaimed dining venues – EQ. After four years, he decided to return to Europe where he helped Cava restaurant in Cyprus gain their first Michelin Star. He later received the gold award for the ‘National Grand Prix’ cooking competition. Now, you can sample some of his award-winning creations at The Chedi. And the hotel looks as good as his food – it won Best Ambience this year too.
Tuna Salad
To serve two
100g raw tuna
40g fresh pineapple
40g cucumber
1tsp red onion
shaved spring onion
fresh coriander
salt
pepper
Sauce
10g ginger, 1pc onion
2pcs garlic
20g lemon grass
1tsp coriander seeds
1pc segmented lemon
1pc segmented orange
100g corn oil
20g shoyu
5g balsamic vinegar
Method
Chop tuna and pineapple into 3mm x 3mm squares. Peel and slice the cucumber into half-moon shapes. Finely chop the red onion. Blend sauce ingredients. Mix prepared salad ingredients and add 2tb sp of sauce for the dressing. |
Tuscany, Grand Hyatt Muscat
Step through the wrought iron gate of Tuscany’s entrance and enter the enticing surroundings of Italy’s central region. Behind that life-size statue of the roaring lion, head chef Luca prepares their culinary creations in an open display kitchen.
Chef Luca offers authentic Italian cuisine in a setting that is
casual yet elegant. Imported proscutti and parmesan, pizzas baked in wood-fired ovens, exquisite fresh seafood, delicate homemade pastas and a wide range of vegetarian items bring in the authentic flavours of Italy. Since its launch, Tuscany has earned approval and won itself the Oman Today award for the best Italian restaurant in the city. Luca’s signature dish: black linguini with prawns, tomato, chilli and basil.
Seppioline ripiene di scafata Toscana
Braised baby squids stuffed with broad bean pure
To serve five
Fresh or frozen
broad beans, 500g
Squid, 500g
One large onion
Garlic, 30g
Fresh tomatoes, 200g
Grated parmesan
cheese, 80g
Bread crumbs, 80g
A glass of fish stock
Olive oil
An egg
Method:
Remove the skin from the broad beans. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the broad beans to the onion mix. Add fish stock and season with salt and pepper. When the beans are cooked, blend the compost and add breadcrumbs, parmesan and the egg. Stuff the squid with the bean mixture and close with a toothpick. Braise the squids in a pan with oil, fish stock and chopped fresh tomatoes. The squids have to be served warm. |
Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat
Jean-Luc Amann, head chef at Muscat’s Al Bustan Palace Hotel, has worked all over the world, and his food reflects this.
After gaining his chef’s qualifications in France, Amann went to London to cook for Reuters, where he remained for over six years. He has since worked in Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, before coming to the Al Bustan six years ago. His experience in the orient gave him the expertise to build the hotel’s China Mood restaurant from scratch.
Amann believes in using fresh ingredients and imports food directly from China and France. He likens the creativity of cooking to that of painting and his canvas is a masterpiece – try China Mood restaurant and its Beijing Duck, sheer perfection in absolute minimalist bliss.
Seared tuna loin on confit potatoes
To serve four
Tuna loin 4 pieces at 80gm each
Cajun spices
Olive oil
Selection of mixed freshly chopped herbs
New potatoes 400gm
Whole garlic cloves 4pcs.
Fresh thyme 1 sprig
Bay leaves 1pc
Peppercorns & salt to taste
Some olive oil to cover
the potatoes
Frisee lettuce
A few drops of reduced balsamic vinegar
Method
Wash potatoes, cut into medium-sized slices. Place in a saucepan. Add the various herbs and spices. Cover with oil. Let them simmer on low heat until cooked. Season tuna with Cajun spices, lemon juice and oil. Sear on a hot griddle but don’t over-cook (inside should be slightly rare). Let them cool a little. Just before serving, brush with olive oil and roll in a mixture of freshly chopped fresh herbs
(tarragon, parsley, chives). Arrange potatoes on the plates, surrounded by sliced tuna. Finish with lettuce and balsamic vinegar |
Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissa Resort and Spa
The Shangri-La won three awards this year, but the best part of this hotel might be their gazpacho. Over an artificial moat and private beach, the Bait al Bahr serves a great gazpacho. This is a deeply involved blend of such character-laden ingredients as tamarind, Worchester sauce, Tabasco and aged white bread.
Such possibilities will reaffirm this restaurant's reputation for not just exceptional seafood, but a backdoor nouvelle cuisine treatment when you least expect it.
Try a few other exceptional dishes: the white tomato soup with poached sea bream takes over where the gazpacho ends. Like a ghost crab scuttling across silent shores, its very faint hint of tomato is barely present, and even more delicious when you first detect it.
Gazpacho
Bait al Bahr
Ripe tomato: beef or
roma are best, 2kg
White bread: 2 or 3 days old is better, 500g
Red onion, 150g
Green pepper, 300g
Cucumber: peeled and sliced, 300g
Olive oil, 300ml
Garlic, 3 cloves
Balsamic vinegar, 30ml
Tamarind juice, 30ml
Worchester sauce, 20ml
Tabasco, salt and
pepper to taste
Fish stock, 200ml
Preparation
Cut the tomato, bread, onion, pepper, garlic and cucumber into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add the vinegar, tamarind juice, Worchester sauce and fish stock. Mix together and place in a fridge for few hours.
Put the tomato mixture in a liquidiser and mix it till it is smooth. Add the olive oil slowly while straining through a sieve. Add salt, Tabasco and pepper to taste, and place in a fridge till serving time. |
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