It all started last night when Mr Right said that he wanted to go to Seeb Market in early morning and has never failed to 'invite' me which he always knew the answer - No Dear, TQ! :( I always prefer Muscat Grand Mall than Markets :D
But as usual I always succumbed to his 'invitation' when he enticed me with Big Breakfast @McD! Soon, off we went towards Azaiba in our silver BeeMer and stopped for hearty breakie before we were on the road again to the Seeb Fish Market. Mr Right was hoping for some fresh lobsters but unfortunately there was none today! So, we settled for some fresh fish to be grilled. About OR1.300 per fish only! And grilled fish was his forte. I'm pretty sure the grilled fish will no doubt taste Yummy & Delicious! Then, I saw a bucket full of Kepah! Wow ... That be nice and tasty for lunch if only I can cook them like my SIL Annie. But how? We are far apart - separated by the oceans.
Mr Right looked at me with 'owl-ly' and wrinkly quizzical look with lots of hints -"Are you sure, you gonna cook that?" Ha Ha Ha! I gave him a strong pretty assurance, "Yes. Definitely!" Quietly he asked the fish monger for a bowl full (3kg) which only cost him OR1 = RM8 only! I quickly smiled and thanked him for the purchase. But, at the back of my mind I was feeling nervous and skeptical on how to cook them. Hu Hu Hu ... But, I must not show him my nervousness instead the elegant look full of confidence :D
When we arrived at our residence in Qurum29, I was still nervous about cooking the Kepah yet I consoled my fast breathing heart to stay calm as serene as the Oman Sea. After Mr Right helped me to clean and placed them in a big bowl, I figured out the recipe in my head. I told myself, it can never go wrong as long as it is boiled and the shells are open when cooked!
In the kitchen, our helper Mrs P has boiled the white rice in the cooker. I told her to leave it there and cut some fresh lemongrass from our garden. Other than that she's free until my next call when lunch is over! While Mr Right was seen very calm with his 25 minutes grilling the Big Fish without much fuss, I was heavily perspiring only in my heart with my trial and error cooking the Kepah. First, I cut some slices of onions and garlics with a quarter inch fresh turmeric and ginger. Followed by two stalk of fresh lemongrass. On the stove, I boiled water in a pot. Then, I put all the ingredients in the pot till they throughly boiled before I placed a bowl full of Kepah. Finally, I threw in some salt for taste.
Masyallah! The smell was 'adorising' the whole kitchen. Not only mesmerizing aroma but truly delicious taste. It did have the smell like the recipe of my Mom in Happy Village but not as my SIL Annie! LOL He He He! Anyway, it was something very new to me and deep down in my heart I knew Mr Right will like it and feel proud of my new found achievement, particularly the foodies were our son's favorite! Knowing full well that he and his wife will be visiting us in two months time, we hoped to cook something special for them. Also hopefully the Kepah season in still on during that time. Insyallah.
By that time it was cooked, Mr Right's grilled fish was also ready. I did the Sambal Kicap for the grilled fish following my late Dad's style of simply cut green chilies, fresh onions with some Kicap Hablal and several drops of lemon juice. This went well with the grilled fish. Since I also bought some green Sawi at the wet market, I decided to stir fry it with lots of fresh mushrooms using some oyster sauce.
In fact, the green Sawi had its own story at the market. At first, I did not intend to buy it whatsoever since my refrigerator was quite full of vegetables from Lulu Hypermarket. But, a little incident happened that made me bought them. While strolling along the market stalls I asked the price of a bunch of green Sawi from an old seller. Perhaps thinking that I am foreigner in the Sultanate, he told me OR1 for two bunches. I asked him again if that was the price and he nodded affirmatively. But I knew he wanted to 'cheat' me. I calculated that the price should not be more than 500 baiza or perhaps much less. So, I thanked him and walked to the next stall. There, the seller showed me three bunches of Sawi for 200 baiza only and without much thinking I bought them. The old Seller saw me and grinned to which I just nodded sweetly.
Well, Alhamdulillah we had great hearty lunch at home today. It was truly healthy and surprisingly with very little cost - about OR2.500 for two persons. We thanked Allah SWT for his grace and blessings upon us and our wonderful stay in this hospitable land. Amin.
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