Content
English Af-Soomaali ???? Chocolate Cake & Torte www.xawaash.com Good chocolate cake reminds both of us of La Baguette in Jeddah. It was one of those places we liked to frequent during our stay in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was without doubt the best Patisserie/Cafe in Jeddah. We remember the owner, a young Saudi gentleman, who...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Kalamudo www.xawaash.com When Leila’s mother, Maedo, came from the UK to visit us for a few days last week, it was only natural that we would prepare the video for Kalamudo that many of you have been requesting for so long. She told us that instead of repeating the previous recipe, she...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Basbousa www.xawaash.com Basbousa is a semolina cake popular in the Middle East as well as the countries along the Eastern Mediterranean shores. The cake itself is not too sweet but it is soaked with a sugar syrup scented with rose water. It is very easy to prepare and the best thing we...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Avocado Smoothie www.xawaash.com This is our favourite milkshake. It is creamy, smooth, and has a rich buttery taste. And it has none of the guilt associated with gulping down an icecream milkshake made with real cream. When made with the right ingredients, it becomes a healthy indulgence. Use fresh coconut milk if...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Crostata www.xawaash.com This recipe has its origins in Bardera, Somalia. There, a Somali cook trained by Italians used to prepare a ricotta crostata using a delicious, buttery dough. A few years later, my mother, Hooyo Fadumo, replaced the ricotta with jam and our Doolsho Malmalaaddo was born. It was prepared in our...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Baked Plantains www.xawaash.com Soo bahee bahaane Basal? iyo bataato Bocor iyo bukeeni Beerteeya ki taale Buulomareer ki jeeye Come on, let’s go Onions and potatoes Pumpkins and plantains Grow in my farm I’ll take you to Bulomarer And so goes the song (by Faarax Siidow Faarax), a man listing his riches, trying...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Fried Whole Coffee Beans www.xawaash.com Bun or bun sharuur is whole coffee beans with hull that are deep fried in ghee or oil. For Somalis, it is a delicacy that many associate with rituals. It is deeply tied to religious ceremonies whether small or large. Whenever there are prayer gatherings and feasts,...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Ambulo www.xawaash.com My most memorable meal was not the one that I had at a fancy restaurant. It was a plate of beans and rice that I had in Mareer Gur, Somalia. It was the most satisfying meal ever! Somalis call it “federation”, a federation of grains. In the early hours of...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Sweet Potato Mash www.xawaash.com Ayeeyo (grandma) Ebla used to plant them. She was my great grandmother and she was a nomad, a transplanted nomad. Put her anywhere and she would thrive, a true survivor. I never met her but I have a lot of respect for her. How can you not respect...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Baked Salmon & Carrot Salad www.xawaash.com Some recipes come to you very easily. The recipe for the carrot salad is one such example. It was sent to us by our friend J. who lives in France. She is the person who does all the French translation for us. Thank you J.! Other...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Sandwich Cookies www.xawaash.com “Your bill is $2,050. How would you like to pay, Sir?” I was at the dealership to get a new set of tires and new brake pads for our car. That was a hefty amount and I grudgingly paid it. It left a sour taste in my mouth but...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Peera www.xawaash.com Caano Baraawe (lit. Bravanese milk) is what this delicacy is known as in other parts of Somalia. The Bravanese (from Brava, Somalia) know it as peera. This name with its East Asian origins, is testament to the town’s position as an important trading centre along the coast of the Western...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Somali Chutney www.xawaash.com This is not everyday Somali food. Not even a once-in-a-month thing, unless you frequent Somali restaurants. This chutney is consumed on special occasions which explains why some Somalis know it as Basbaas Alla-bari (feast hot sauce). Alla-bari is a large prayer gathering followed by a feast. That name also...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Cubed Chicken www.xawaash.com We first had cubed chicken at Hamdi Restaurant. It is a Somali restaurant in Toronto that is quite popular. Whenever we go to Somali restaurants, we never order individual dishes. We choose the large platters of rice served with different types of meat dishes: roasted goat meat, goat shanks,...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Somali Rice Pilaf www.xawaash.com This is not your typical rice pilaf cooked with 1 cup broth for 2 or more cups of rice. This pilaf is cooked with 2 cups broth for each cup of rice, making it a very flavourful dish. In fact, it is so flavourful that we sometimes eat...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Sometimes people make the weirdest assumptions. They engage in stereotyping that may not end up too well for them. Like the woman who came to visit my mother at our home in Mogadishu. I was thirteen then, and at that time I was sitting under the shade of a tree in our...
English Af-Soomaali ???? Adriyad (cadriyad) is a traditional Somali dish prepared with vermicelli pasta. It is more common in the northern parts of Somalia where it is served as both a dessert dish or served with rice. In Brava, it is known as seewiya and it is usually served as a dessert during Ramadan (the...
English Af-Soomaali ???? I was in my second year of high school when the Somali government at the time decided to close all the schools for one academic year. All high school students were sent to the rural areas to participate in a literacy campaign (Rural Development Campaign). I was sent to Go’doon, a tiny...
English Af-Soomaali We had many requests for a custard recipe but we knew that most of those who were requesting it, expected us to use custard powder. Unless you are allergic to eggs or have other dietary concerns, there is no reason not to make custard from scratch. It is easy, has very few ingredients,...
English Af-Soomaali It is not just children that are resistant to eating vegetables, many adults also need to be presented with healthy foods in a creative way. There are many ways to sneak vegetables into foods and get your family to eat healthy. This recipe, however, will not show you how to become more sneaky....
A sponge cake was the first cake we baked in Somalia. The ingredients were: 6 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup flour. The steps were: separate the yolks from the egg whites; beat the egg whites with the sugar until foamy; beat in the egg yolks, then gently add the flour. Bake. The...
Meatballs always take me back to Mogadishu, Somalia. They take me to Moallim Jama School, the school that I went to for my last year of elementary education. They remind me of the ‘breakfast lady’ who used to serve us small meatball sandwiches in the schoolyard during our mid-morning break. Back then, I was...
We mentioned in previous posts how Somalis, in general, liked to eat red meat. From sea to shining sea (the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean), Somalis prefer to have meat included in their main meal of the day. That, however, was not always realized. In many places, the main meal was just grits...
Brava, Somalia, is known for its culinary tradition which includes its renowned sweets. One example is Pera which is known, in other parts of Somalia, as Caano Baraawe (Bravanese milk). We hope to post a recipe for it in the near future. Meso is not as well known as Pera, but it is one...
Hambalyo Waxaan marka hore u mahad celinaynaa Ilaahay (SW) oo ah macbuudka xaqa. Waxaan ku sallinaynaa Nabiga raxmad ahaan naloogu soo diray inuu dariiqa toosan nagu sugo. Maalintaan farxadda weyn leh, waxaan hambalyo guud u diraynaa dhammaan Ummadda Islaamka ah. Waxaan mid qaas ah u diraynaa dadweynaha Soomaaliyeed meel kasta oo ay addunka ka...
Balbalow (baalbaaloow) is a sweet treat that is popular in Somalia. It is shaped like a butterfly (balanbaalis) and it is as sweet as the butterfly is beautiful. Good balbalow should be light, crunchy but not hard, and have a nice, crumbly texture. The small bubbles on the surface of the balbalow are formed...
There are many reasons for baking your own bread. It tastes much better than store bought bread, has no preservatives, and the smell of freshly baked bread is priceless. You have full control of what goes into your bread: the amount of salt, sugar (if any), type of flour, etc… In Somalia, bread was...
We know how kids love finger foods, especially out of the ordinary foods like chicken lollipops. We also know that most kids do not like eating vegetables. Our solution is to use the carrot and stick approach. Never mind those studies that tell you it is the wrong approach, because ours is a totally...
We had to bake this cake three times for this post. It wasn’t because it did not come out right the first time. When we first baked it last Friday, we could not resist and we had it with tea while still warm and without the glaze. We then baked it on Saturday, poured...
Somali food is not spicy hot. It is unlike the cuisines of neighbouring countries that use a lot of hot spices. Somalis prefer to serve the hot sauce on the side just like the salt and pepper which everyone can adjust to his/her taste. One thing you do not have to worry about when...
If you have never had a plantain, it tastes pretty much like a potato when a raw or semi-ripe plantain is cooked. We prepared this stew for some guests and they all thought they were eating potatoes. Plantains are a staple food in southern Somalia and are added to both savoury and sweet dishes....
The eye of round roast is a very lean cut and can be quite tough if not cooked properly. There are different ways of cooking it but our favourite method is to cook it slowly in a flavourful broth. The meat releases its juices, making the broth even more flavourful. Even though the cooked...
We never had shrimp in Somalia. We also never ate lobster there, or any other type of shellfish for that matter. Somalis did not consider those creatures worthy eating. Whenever fisherman found them in their nets, they tossed them back to the sea. Somalia has the longest coastline in mainland Africa and has an...
This flat bread is very popular as a breakfast item that is usually served during the Eid. It is similar to Anjero but it has additional ingredients that make it different. Ambabur has different spices added to the batter that give it a special taste. The types of spices added can vary from one...
Hambalyo Waxaan marka hore u mahad celinaynaa Ilaahay (SW) oo ah macbuudka xaqa. Waxaan ku sallinaynaa Nabiga raxmad ahaan naloogu soo diray inuu dariiqa toosan nagu sugo. Maalintaan farxadda weyn leh, waxaan hambalyo guud u diraynaa dhammaan Ummadda Islaamka ah. Waxaan mid qaas ah u diraynaa dadweynaha Soomaaliyeed meel kasta oo ay addunka ka joogaan,...
Long before we were introduced to the doughnuts we had outside Somalia, we were familiar with kac kac. We loved these tasty snacks that were sold in traditional Somali restaurants (maqaayo Soomaali) in Mogadishu. They were great for a quick breakfast when served alongside a cup of Somali tea with milk (shaah caddeeys). In those...
Icun icalaanji caloosha iggee (iggeli) Are you getting ready for Eid? What would Eid be without icun? We mean the icun of “icun icalaanji caloosha iggee (iggeli)” fame. That is what the street vendors selling icun used to say and it means “eat me, chew me, and dispatch me to the stomach.” We do...
East African curries are influenced by Indian as well as Middle Eastern cuisines, so any similarities are not coincidental. This curry contains coconut milk which features prominently in Swahili cooking and it is one of the ingredients that makes the food really delicious. This recipe is a family favourite and is one of the...
We hear a lot about teamwork in the workplace but little about teamwork at home. We believe it is just as important if not more. We like to cook together, prepare recipes together, as well as taking turns to cook. Apart from the benefit it has of building a stronger relationship and fostering companionship...
When we roasted these chicken drumsticks, we took them to a gathering at a friend’s house. One of her guests tried them and she said to us, “I have never had chicken this good in my WHOLE LIFE! I am a chef and I know what I am talking about.” Wow! What an amazing...
In Somalia, creme caramel was not a dessert that was made on a regular basis. It was usually made when guests were invited. We believe it was due to the fact that eggs were not easy to come by. Most of the good restaurants in Mogadishu served creme caramel and it was always our...
In a previous post, we told you about the story of Hooyo Fadumo’s beginnings with cooking and her fish debacle. Wanting to learn, she sought out anyone who could teach her: family, friends, and even total strangers. She tells the story of how she approached a Somali cook who was working for an Italian neighbour....
Mashmash (rhymes with hush-hush) is a classic Somali snack that is usually paired with samosas. It is on the greasy side but in Somalia, greasy was not always associated with bad. There was a time when oily meant nutritious. We remember seeing construction workers in Mogadishu using mashmash as a sandwich filling. At the...
We learned how to make this soup from Hooyo¹ Fadumo Abdulle (Abdullahi’s mother). Hooyo Fadumo is an amazing cook but her story with cooking did not have the greatest start. Actually, it began with an embarrassing experience. Even though born and raised in Mogadishu, she comes from a family of pastoralists (reer miyi). At...
What is round, goes around, comes around. To us, that sums the story of the Somali Malawah (Malawax). We wish to think that the crepe originated in the Horn of Africa. The Horn is the home of the Ethiopian Injera, the Eritrean Injera, Somali Anjero or Lahoh, Malawah, and Ambaabur. It is not clear...
Oodkac or Muqmad is what Somalis prepare whenever they want to preserve meat. During times of plenty, that is the rainy days, the nomads save for a dry day. Rainy days bring abundance (barwaaqo), when the milk from the herd is flowing and meat becomes available. The preserved meat was sometimes the only food...
In this recipe, we did not follow the traditional method of preparing chicken parmesan. We asked ourselves, “Why prepare crispy chicken parmesan, then make it soggy with marinara sauce?” Fresh mozzarella is also always best fresh. In our version, all the components are on the plate, with the marinara sauce served on top of...
For Middle Eastern recipes, we owe a lot to Jeddah where we lived for several years. With so many expatriate friends as well as all the different types of restaurants, it was very easy to fall in love with Middle Eastern cooking. Leila was not working at the time (just like most of the...
There are sweets that you eat because they taste good; then there are those that go a step further by bringing back memories of your childhood, a way of life long gone, of places fondly missed. That is what shushumoow (kalkals) do for us. In Brava, Somalia, they are known as zinanaande or zinanoonde. ...
