IN ACTION: Khalid al-Jabri makes some delicious, hot Omani halwa. Phot: Anand Holla
By Anand Holla
Of the few shops housed in the traditional market place built along the Katara beach, Khalid al-Jabri’s stall is by far the sweetest – he is the only one who makes and sells Omani halwa.
Right from the start of Ramadan, al-Jabri’s authentic take on lip-smacking Omani halwa has been generating quite a buzz among visitors to Katara and its beachfront. Most of the small shop, which will be open till the last day of Eid, is occupied by a giant cooking pot, and al-Jabri prides on being a one-man show.
“From assembling the ingredients to handling these big utensils, I do everything by myself. I like it this way,” he says. Priced at QR50 for a kilo, the halwa, which is available in two variants (brown and black), tastes divine. It also comes at a much better price than the usual market rate. “I haven’t seen anyone make Omani halwa alone; be it in Oman or in Qatar,” he says, as he garnishes the halwa placed in various boxes with diced dry fruits.
The 38-year-old self-taught chef lives in Muscat but flies down to wherever work beckons. “I travel wherever work takes me,” al-Jabri says, “I go to UAE, or Kuwait for the food festival. After Eid, Inshallah, I will go to Egypt and open a shop in Alexandria.”
Al-Jabri says he is an expert at cooking Omani cuisine, Gulf cuisine, Indian cuisine, and Arabic cuisine. “But sweet-making is my new fascination,” he says.
Before turning his interest to cookery, al-Jabri worked at the control room of the Dubai International Airport for eight years. “It was crazy. Some people would be furious and really tough to deal with. I didn’t like the atmosphere,” he recalls. Next, al-Jabri made a swift career turn and took up one of the most calming jobs there could be.
“I joined the royal musicians’ orchestra for Sultan Qaboos (the Sultan of Oman), which is made up of Omani musicians, and became part of the choral team,” al-Jabri says. He worked there for a decade, until last year.
It’s rather clear that al-Jabri is a versatile character. “Any work that comes to me, I take it up. Ahlamdulillah I am ready for everything. Sometimes, I work as a fisherman, and sometimes I drive big boats or trucks,” he says, “I work with everybody; Arabs, Indians, Filipinos, Russian, and I can talk all these languages, too.”
But of late, it is food that has him excited. “I have been cooking for 15 years. I learnt it by looking at my mother. Now I cook well enough to be called a Chef,” he says, smiling.
While he has now perfected the Omani halwa, he first worked at it with sketchy instructions. “One time, I asked a friend, who works in a sweetshop, how to cook authentic halwa. He gave me oral instructions and I remembered it,” al-Jabri says.
At his Katara shop, weekends bring in some customers, but otherwise business has been lean. “I haven’t set up this shop for money. What I need most is for people to visit me, see me, see my cooking, taste the halwa and like it enough to remember me, return to me. Everybody must remember Khalid al-Jabri and the halwa he makes,” he says, adding, “Katara officials have helped me put this together. They are very kind and supportive.”
Most of those who try a spoonful of halwa end up making a buy. “While I get all sorts of customers, those from the Gulf form the bulk. Then there are those expats who have been to Oman or lived there before and want to revisit the taste of Omani halwa,” al-Jabri explains.
For al-Jabri, who plans to open a multi-cuisine restaurant in Doha, the most heartening part of his halwa shop has been the great feedback he has been getting. “Many have told me that they will place bulk orders once I open a halwa shop,” he says.
What, then, is the singular secret to making mouth-watering sweets? “When you make sweets, it’s all up to you,” says al-Jabri, “If you are feeling happy and relaxed, it turns out superbly. But if you are worried or stressed, things don’t come together well. Ahlamdullilah, I am always happy.”
