Oman: Curved Daggers, Sinbad the Sailor, & Beef and Date Stew
Want to know more about Oman? Are you a lover of travel, geography teacher, homeschooling or involved parent, student, or life-long learner? In an effort to make world geography more meaningful and memorable, I've compiled all you will need to locate Oman on a map, cook a Omani meal, watch YouTube clips on Oman, color the flag, create a Omani craft, read a great book about Oman, and more! This is part of a series of lessons I did with my family while studying various countries from around the world. You can see them all at Around the World in 26 Letters .
Have you been to Oman?
Where is Oman?
Locate Oman on this map of Asia. Use this map of Oman to label the capitol, Muscat/Musqat. Mark other relevant features (rivers, mountains, famous locations, etc.) if desired. If you'd like to spend a bit more time researching the country, you can add the language, currency, type of government, religion, and/or famous landmarks. Write them on the back of the map. You can easily find all this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman.
Fun Facts About Oman
Oman used to be one of the richest countries in the world, with the wealth mainly originating from the incense trade.
Oman is traditionally known for breeding Arab horses.
Only at the beginning of the 1990s did Oman begin allowing tourists to enter its territory.
Oman's Flag
Print and color the flag of Oman and learn the history and meaning of it from wikipedia.org.
Make a khanjar
In Oman men traditionally wear a curved dagger known as a "khanjar." Make a curved dagger out of cardboard. Either cover it with aluminum foil or paint it. Tape it to a belt. You can also try to wear a turban on your head. (Towels or large scarves work well as turbans.)
Omani Meal
Prepare and serve Beef and Date Stew, white rice, sweetened hot tea, and coconut cake.
Cook Time
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 6-8 hours
Serves: 6-8
Beef and Date Stew
- 1 to 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds of boneless beef (or leg of lamb or camel meat) cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces (or four pounds of meat with bones)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large chopped onions
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans of beef broth (or equivalent made with 4 beef bouillon cubes and 3 1/2 cups of water)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup of chopped dates
- cooked white rice (preferably basmati)
- 1/4 cup of toasted slivered almonds (optional)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the spices and salt. Coat the meat with the seasoning mixture. In a large, heavy skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, in the hot oil. Add onions and garlic, and stir to combine. Place the browned meat in a crock-pot. Pour in the broth. Cook on low 6-8 hours (or cook covered in the oven at 300F for 4-6 hours) or until the meat is tender. If needed, skim the fat from the surface of the juices. Stir cornstarch into the cold water; add to meat in the pan and stir. Add the dates, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes or till mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly.
- Serve hot over white rice and garnish with toasted almonds.
- (This recipe came from www.desitwist.com.)
Serving Size
Serves: 8
Juz Al-Hind Cake (Coconut Cake)
- CAKE:
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of farina (Cream of Wheat)
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or pineapple extract
- SYRUP:
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Make the Syrup: Mix the 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and boil for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare the cake: In a bowl mix the flour, farina, sugar, baking powder, and coconut. In another bowl, mix the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and stir until well mixed. Pour into a 8" x 11" lightly greased cake pan and bake at 350F until a toothpick or knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. If the top is not already a golden brown, then broil the top for a minute or two to achieve this color. Remove from the oven. Over the hot cake, pour the cooled syrup. Let cool before serving. (This recipe came from www.desitwist.com.)
Omani Milk and Ginger (or Cardamon) Tea
- 3 cups of water
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 tea bags or 2 tsp. of loose tea leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh or ground ginger (or 1 tsp. ground cardamom)
- 1 can of evaporated milk
Instructions
- Boil the water, sugar and tea for 2-3 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and cardamom (optional). Bring again to a boil and then remove from heat. If using ginger, add it now.
- (This recipe came from www.desitwist.com.)
Read a book about Oman
Pray for the people of Oman
To find out about the religious nature of Oman and specific ways you can pray for the country, go to operationworld.org.
Visiting Oman on YouTube
Oman is the only country that begins with the letter O.
Ready to visit other countries?
Go to Around the World in 26 Letters to find links to all the countries we "visited." Each webpage features a menu, craft, books, video clips, worksheets, and more!
