omani “jellies”

Called Masghati because it is a specialty of Muscat, Oman, this is a typical hospitality sweet automatically served in the United Arab Emirates to visitors for both small and important occasions. I remember one extraordinary wedding in an encampment in the arid mountains above al-‘Ayn, an emirate near Abu Dhabi. There was a large tent with cushions lined up against the tent walls for the guests to sit on. And in front of the cushions were placed large platters of rice with roasted baby goats. These were arranged at regular intervals to feed every six to eight guests. Right by the platters were little plastic containers filled with Omani “jellies” for guests to enjoy after the meal. I couldn’t quite see how to scoop the wobbly sweet with my fingers without making them all sticky, so I ended up not eating any. Our host must have noticed because he insisted I take some with me as we prepared to leave. The making of this sweet is quite similar to Turkish delight (rahat lokum) in that it is simply water thickened with cornstarch, but in this case the flavoring is cardamom, saffron, and rose water. The luxurious version has nuts added to it. Serve Masghati with tea, coffee, or a tisane at the end of a meal or at any other time when you feel like having a sweet snack.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Good pinch of saffron threads

2 tsp rose water

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2 cups [480 ml] water

¹/₂ tsp ground cardamom

³/₄ cup plus 2 Tbsp [175 g] superfine sugar

4 Tbsp [55 g] unsalted butter

1 Tbsp slivered or chopped pistachios

Butter a medium shallow serving bowl. Put the saffron threads to soak in the rose water and let infuse for a few minutes.

In a medium saucepan, stir the cornstarch into the water. Add the cardamom, sugar, and butter; place over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and starts thickening. Continue stirring for a few minutes more and then remove from the heat; stir in the saffron–rose water mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared serving bowl. Let cool before sprinkling the pistachios all over. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. To serve, spoon into bowls.