Xawaash (pronounced Hawash) comes from the Arabic word Hawa’ij (حوائج).  Hawa’ij can be tr[more]

Pita Bread (Ceesh) الخبز – العيش

English Af-Soomaali عربي Pita Bread www.xawaash.com There is something magical about baking pita bread at home. We do not do it because of the cost, even though homemade pita is cheaper than the store-bought variety. We like watching pitas puff up in the oven and we like letting the steam out of them and dipping... [more]

Ful Mudammas (Fuul) فول مدمس

English Af-Soomaali عربي Ful Mudammas www.xawaash.com “Some ideas are by frequency and strength of association so closely combined that they cannot be separated; if one exists, the other exists along with it in spite of whatever effort we make to disjoin them.” (Analysis of the Human Mind, 2nd ed., vol. i, p. 93) That is... [more]

Lamb Stew (Maraq Ari) مرق لحم غنم

English Af-Soomaali عربي Lamb Stew www.xawaash.com These past few days, it has been raining quite hard. We love watching heavy downpours when we are staying at home, curled up in a blanket, and having no need to go outside. These heavy rains coincide with the Gu which is the main rainy season (April to June)... [more]

Chocolate Buttercream & Ganache (Kareemo Buuro & Ganaash) Crème au Chocolat & Ganache كريمة الزبدة بالشوكولاتة وجاناش

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Chocolate Buttercream & Ganache www.xawaash.com The first time we made chocolate buttercream frosting was during our first year of marriage. The recipe was from a French cookbook that we bought. We do not remember the name of the book or the author but we cannot forget the first layer cake we... [more]

Chocolate Cake & Torte (Doolsho & Toorto Shukulaato) Gâteau au Chocolat & Torte كـيـك وتورتة الشوكولاتة

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي 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,... [more]

Kalamudo (Kalaamuddo) كَـلامُـدّة

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي 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,... [more]

Basbousa (Basbuusa) بـسـبـوسـة

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي 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... [more]

Avocado Smoothie (Casiir Afokaado) Smoothie à l’avocat عـصـيـر الأفـوكـادو

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي 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... [more]

Crostata (Doolsho Malmalaaddo) كيك المربى

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي 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... [more]

Baked Plantains (Bukiini La Foorneeyay) Plantains au Four موز بالفرن

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي 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,... [more]

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