Omani Lamb Kabouli

Serves: 2-3 

Ingredients - Checklist: 
O 400-500 grams of lamb pieces with bones
O 4 1/2 cups of water 
O 1 cinnamon stick 
O 1/2 tsp whole cardamom pods 
O 1/2 tsp whole cloves 
O 1/2 tsp whole black peppers 
O 1/2 cup of water (extra)
O 1 large onion, diced 
O 2 tbs olive oil
O 2 cloves garlic, diced 
O 2 tbs raisins
O 1/2 tin canned chick peas 
O 2 tbs Omani mixed spices
O 1/4 tsp saffron powder 
O 1 1/2 cup basmati rice 
O 2 cubes Maggi chicken stock

Preparations: 
Omani mixed spices:

I bet you don`t have an Omani spice mixture hidden in your kitchen cabinets, but rest assured, neither do I. :-) You can easily make it yourself as you do probably have most, if not all, of these spices at home. I used this recipe to make my Omani mixed spices and it turned out really nice in this dish. 

*****

Lamb pieces: 

• Put the lamb pieces and 4 1/2 cups of water in a large pot. 
• Bring to a boil, then add the cinnamon stick and the whole spices. (Cloves, cardamom pods and black pepper.) 
• Cover, reduce to low heat and let simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat becomes tender. 
• When the meat is ready: remove the pieces from the pot, put them on a plate and set aside. 
• Drain the stock and set aside. 

*****

Onion mixture:

• Cook half of the extra water (1/4 cup) and the onion in a large sauce pan. 
• Turn to medium heat and stir occasionally until most of the water has evaporated and the onions become tender. (About 5 minutes.)
• Add 1 tbs of olive oil and stir until the onions turned golden in color. 
• Add garlic, raisins, chickpeas, 1/2 tbs of Omani mixed spices, 1/4 tsp of saffron and the remaining of the water. 

*****

Final stage:

• Add the drained stock to a large pot with an additional 2 cups of water.
• Add 1 tbs of olive oil, 1 1/2 tbs of Omani mixed spices, Maggi Chicken stock cubes and rice. 
• Bring to a boil, stir occasionally, cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes or until the rice is semi cooked. 
• Add the lamb pieces, mix, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. 

*****

Serve on a big platter and top with the mixture of onions, garlic and chickpeas.

Tastes great with a fresh salad on the side. 

Oh Ramadan...

Oh Ramadan, your days went by so fast,  

And most of them have already passed. 

Your time has almost come to an end,  

I can only hope my days fasting were well spent.  

Oh Ramadan, I am not ready to say goodbye,  

I want to cling to your presence as these last hours are passing me by,  

Because there is definitely a fear,  

That this time around next year, maybe... I won`t be here? 

Oh Ramadan, I don`t want you to leave.  

There are still so many good deeds left for me to achieve,  

And after your blessed presence has gone,  

There is still so much work left to be done.  

Oh Ramadan, promise next year we will meet? 

I will do my best! Will do more good deeds! 

Maybe next time I will take head,  

And stop my wrongdoings that I seem bound to repeat. 

Oh Ramadan, you will be missed, again and again,  

As it feels like I am seeing off a dear friend... 

But before you step out of the door,  

I`ld like to ask you for something, just one thing more... 

Oh Ramadan, intercede for me on that Final Day.  

With the days I fasted and the nights I prayed.  

So out of His Mercy I can be forgiven,  

So out of His Mercy I can be saved...  

About me...

If you`ld like to know a little bit more about me: I was recently interviewed in a series of Belgians living abroad. If you click here, you`ll be directed to my interview, in shaa Allah!

Bruce Bogtrotter`s Chocolate Cake for Eid

Whenever I bake a chocolate cake, I always use one recipe. The first time I tried out this recipe, I was about 10 years old. Fast forward almost 20 years (sic) and this is still the recipe I`m using. I never felt the need to try out other recipes as this one is just perfect! 

The Roald Dahl books are an important part of my childhood. I got *Matilda* as a gift when I was about 8 years old and it was the first real book I read and loved. Over the years I would read many other books written by Roald Dahl and one of the books I`ve kept until today is Roald Dahl`s *Revolting Recipes*. This cook book contains the recipes to most of the treats and sweets Roald Dahl describes in his books. If you`ve read *Matilda* too, you will definitely remember the giant chocolate cake Bruce Bogtrotter was forced to eat... I bet you imagined how it would taste like and I can guarantee you that it tastes amazing... :-) 

This is a perfect cake for Eid-ul-Fitr, so I`m sharing the recipe with you all... 

Enjoy! 

This year`s Ramadan decorations (2015)

I love to decorate my home during Ramadan and Eids. From the moment I had my own place, I would put my crafting skills to use and make my house as festive as possible during the holy days! Now that I have a son I believe it is even more important to bring that Ramadan atmosphere into our home. Although he is still tiny with his nearly 8 months of age and high likely won`t remember all the effort his mom was putting into decorating the place when he was a baby, lol, I strongly believe islamic education starts from the day a child is brought into this world. (And even before that.) Of course I don`t just decorate our house because of my son, I just love to craft and create pretty things to create a cozy and warm atmosphere at home. And Ramadan and Eid our the perfect times to do so. :-)

This year`s decorations were very budget friendly. A few weeks before Ramadan I normally set out to buy new crafting supplies, but this year I decided to work with what I already had lying around at home. Take a peek...

There are some crafts that I make every year, one of them is a *Ramadan Mubarak* banner. If you`ld like to know how to make the tassels, here`s a tutorial on how to do that. 

Moons and stars can`t be missing during Ramadan! These shiny stars and moons are made from the same paper as the one I used to make the tassels for the banner: golden and silver crepe paper. These are hanging from the ceiling in my hallway and are the first thing you see when you walk through my door. 

This lovely *Ramadan Mubarak* banner is hanging on my front door. It is designed by Sweet Fajr and you can find this and more printable banners on her page. 

Below the banner I made a garland with yarn and different colors and types of washi tape. Here`s a close up. 

I like to visualize the passing days of Ramadan and the countdown to Eid.

 

I drew the design in the frame myself, but you can find some nice printables online like this one. To be able to change the number of days every day, you place the printable behind the glass of your frame, you can then write the number of days with a whiteboard marker on the frame. Be sure to not use a permanent marker, so you can easily wipe it off every day. 

The printable on the right is from Sweet Fajr and you can download it here. 

My love for crochet and candles resulted in this cozy candle light. A great way to recycle all those glass jars you`ve got lying around. Click here for the pattern. 

No Ramadan without a *fanoos* in our family. The streets of Cairo are filled with these (Although nowadays they are mostly electrical) and this brings back memories of Ramadan in Egypt!

The little glass cup is actually a typical Qatari coffee cup, but it can also serve as a candle holder. 

AlhamdouliLlah for a cozy Ramadan home! 

5 years of being a hijabi

This summer marks the 5th anniversary of me wearing the hijaab, alhamdouliLlah.

5 years ago, at the beginning of the summer in 2010, a few days after graduation and a few weeks before my marriage, I decided to wear the hijaab and I have, alhamdouliLlah, never taken it off since.

Even more so then deciding to become a muslim, wearing the hijaab had far reaching consequences: I lost friends, family members wouldn`t speak to me anymore and I saw my chances of working as a teacher in Belgium diminishing drastically.

But looking back, wearing the hijaab didn`t make me *lose* anything. By losing friends, Allah directed me to better people who turned out to be better companions. By not being welcomed anymore into some of my family members` homes, Allah protected me from a lot of fitnah and again, replaced the family that I lost, for a family of sisters. By choosing Allah over my passion for teaching, he eventually blessed me with an exceptional teaching position where I was able to work with hijaab: I look back on my years at the school as some of the best of my life, alhamdouliLlah.

Living in a muslim country now, where I am valued and respected because of my hijaab, I will never forget how hard I fought for my religion and my hijaab. And I experienced first hand how Allah will help you in ways you don`t think are possible. When you take one step towards Allah, He will come running to you...

Wearing the hijaab is a personal jihad. Especially in these times. And over those 5 years and especially in the last one, I saw several sisters take off their hijaab. I understand. Wearing the hijaab is hard. Very hard. But I want you to remember: your struggle isn`t in vain. You are not struggling alone. Thousands of sisters are struggling with you. Don`t give up. Allah is with you. And those friends you are afraid of losing? Allah will replace them with better ones. 

Those family members who don`t want to see you anymore? Allah will make them come around or replace them by a different kind of family. 

That job you will lose? Allah will guide you to a better opportunity.

Be proud of your hijaab, ladies, keep struggling for the sake of Allah!

Ramadan in Qatar... What`s it like?

As a convert I spent most of my Ramadans back home in a non-muslim environment. This meant that although the atmosphere of Ramadan could be felt in my own home, you couldn`t notice Ramadan the moment you set foot outside. Daily life just continued at its normal pace, the streets looked the same, people did the same things, ... Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. 

It`s my 3rd Ramadan in Qatar this year and I definitely prefer spending this precious month here. Ramadan is reflected in every aspect of daily life and the country just breathes the atmosphere of this holy month. But what is so different between fasting here and fasting back home? What makes Ramadan here such a special time of the year? 

Sunset on the first night of Ramadan at Souq Waqif in Al Wakrah. 

Here`s a list of Qatari traditions and things to know about Ramadan in Qatar!

1. Timings 

A day of fasting in Qatar is definitely shorter than a day spent fasting in Belgium. At least in the summer that is. While people in Belgium have to fast a total of 18-19 hours, in Qatar it`s about 15 hours. Fajr (Dawn) is around 3 AM and Maghreb (Sunset) around 6.30 PM. This means that iftar (the meal of breaking the fast) is mostly spent with many other people, whether at home or outside in restaurants. I remember my last Ramadans in Belgium, Maghreb time was already around 9 PM and it meant that breaking the fast with others was difficult and hardly happened. People were just too tired. It made for a lonely Ramadan... 

Also praying taraweeh at the mosque was almost impossible for a lot of people with such timings.  (Especially if you have to get up early in the morning for work!) 

On the other hand the climate in Belgium, even in summer, is rather mild, while temperatures in Qatar are reaching the fifties, so thirst is more of an issue here! 

2. Daily life turns upside down

Back home life just continued at its normal pace, but in Qatar, everything shifts during Ramadan. Supermarkets and stores will adjust their opening hours, restaurants are closed during fasting hours, while working hours are reduced. My husband f.ex. only has to work 5 hours during Ramadan instead of the normal 8. The whole country slows down during Ramadan. (At least during the day, things get really busy at night!) However, this does mean that if you need to get any paperwork done, chances are it`s not going to happen in Ramadan. So if you urgently need to settle some administration: be sure to get it done before Ramadan starts or wait patiently until the month has passed... 

For a list of this year`s opening hours for supermarkets, malls and restaurants, click here. 

3. Cannon shot at sunset

The Ramadan Cannon by Omar Chatriwala, Doha News.

Being in a muslim country means that the breaking of the fast is signaled by the adhaan (call for prayer). But Qatar also has another tradition: every evening at sunset, a cannon shot is fired! This tradition is carried out across the Gulf region and other countries of the Middle East as well. 

The cannon used to be located next to the General Post Office, but now sits in the shade of the Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque or as it is commonly known the State Mosque. 

4. Ramadan decorations 

One of the main reasons I loved Christmas so much as a child (I was raised a Catholic) were the decorations and especially the lights. I don`t celebrate Christmas anymore today, but I still love that time of the year back home when the streets are decorated with millions of little twinkling lights. 

In Qatar, however, streets aren`t decorated during Christmas, but during Ramadan! 

The palm trees along the Corniche are draped in strings of lights and Katara, Qatar`s cultural Village and one of my favorite hang out spots in Doha, is definitely a must see during Ramadan... 

Source.

Source.

5. No drinking and eating in public 

In Qatar it is illegal to eat or drink in public during Ramadan. Non-muslims aren`t expected to fast, so non-muslims can still eat or drink in their homes or at work, but in a designated area. Although a lot of muslims won`t mind, it is advised to non-muslims living here to not eat or drink in front of muslims while in private. 

Throughout the year alcohol consumption in Qatar is restricted: there is only one store in Doha, Qatar Distribution Company, where non-muslims, with a permit, can buy alcohol (and pork) from, but it is closed during the entire month of Ramadan. Non-muslims can only consume these goods in the privacy of their own homes. However, alcohol is also served in some bars and hotels around Qatar, yet in Ramadan alcohol isn`t allowed to be served anywhere. 

People who are caught drinking or eating in public during Ramadan risk being fined and even imprisoned or deported. 

6. Lavish iftars

Although Ramadan is about leaving food and drink and overindulging in it when breaking the fast is definitely not what a muslim should do, a lot of restaurants and hotels prepare open buffets for iftar. Our family mostly eats iftar in the comfort of our own home, but we have attended several of these open buffets over the years and it makes for a fun night out during Ramadan. My favorite remains the one at Grand Heritage Hotel and Spa. The entrance and dining area are decorated in an oriental style and the food is absolutely amazing: my husband loves their roasted lamb and I am fond of their pasta station, where you can pick and choose your own pasta dish while a cook prepares it in front of you. They also serve a variety of European and Arabic sweets which really top off this iftar. What I also really like about this place is that they prepare a special prayer room for their guests. I remember attending an iftar in a Lebanese restaurant 2 years ago where me and my husband actually had to pray outside in the parking lot as there was no space at all to pray inside... 

Source. 

For me, attending such an open buffet, is a once in a while occasion, a special evening out during Ramadan. (And a break from cooking for me!) But unfortunately some people attend such buffets every evening and overindulge in food after fasting. Every Ramadan hundreds of people end up in the ER at hospitals downtown after overeating and dozens get hospitalized with gastritis, dehydration and kidney problems. 

If you`ld like to enjoy an evening out during Ramadan, click here for a list of places that offer iftar and souhour (meal before dawn) in Doha this Ramadan. But be warned! ;-)

7. Garangao 

On the 14th night of Ramadan children in Qatar celebrate Garangao. They dress up in traditional clothing, sing a typical Garangao song and knock on their neighbor`s doors to receive nuts and candy. (Halloween anyone? Although in Qatar there are no monsters and ghosts involved!) 

Typical Garangao nuts and candy.

It is celebrated in all of the Gulf countries under different names. It is an immensely popular tradition in Qatar and Qatar Foundation, Aspire Zone and Katara all host events on this night with lot`s of fun and games for the kids. 

8. Corniche Car Parade 

Every evening, around an hour before sunset, the Corniche is the backdrop for what has become a Ramadan tradition in Qatar: the Corniche Car Parade. The recipe is simple: young men + fancy cars = boys having fun! Porsches, Lamborghinis, oldtimers, ... You can watch them all, every evening around 5 PM.
What this has to do with Ramadan remains a mystery to me, but let me just say: boys will be boys... 

Chantelle D`mello, Doha News. 

9. Taraweeh prayers 

Sheick Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque or the State Mosque.

During Ramadan muslims are encouraged to pray supererogatory prayers. Praying *taraweeh* in congregation at the mosque is an important part of Ramadan. The past years I often went to pray at my local mosque down the street, but I have always wanted to attend the prayers at the State Mosque as during Ramadan, local and internationally famous shuyuck (Plural of sheick) are invited to lead taraweeh prayers. One of the reciters I love listen to most is Sheick Saad Al Ghamdi, who is an annual guest in Qatar during Ramadan. Below is a list with the shuyuck who will be leading the taraweeh prayers this year. 

Turki Al Marri/ MalAllah Al Jaber/ Mohamed Taher/ Yousef Ashir (30 days)
Abubakr Al Shateri (9-11 Ramadan)
Mohamed Al Luhaydan (12-14 Ramadan) 
AbdelHadi Kanakri (14-16 Ramadan)
Yasir Al Dosari (17-18 Ramadan)
Saad Al Ghamdi (17-20 Ramadan)
AbdelWali Al Arkani (21-25 Ramadan)

I guess that sums it up! If you know of any Qatari traditions during Ramadan that I`ve forgotten, please tell me about them! 

Ramadan Mubarak!