If you don’t like sweets then you met your match! Beware, if you try these dumplings you will become addicted. Seriously addicted. They are sweet, crunchy, yeasty, and ‘dare-you-to-stop-at-one’ goodies. We cannot imagine iftar without these dumplings. They are known as skaramati in Brava, Somalia. In Swahili, they are called kaimati which sounds very similar… Continue reading Fried Sweet Dumplings (Skaramati/Burka Macaan) Petits Beignets au Sucre (Pets de Nonne)
Category: Sweets (Macmacaan)
Butter & Yoghurt Cake (Doolshe Buuro 2) Gâteau au Beurre et au Yaourt
English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Butter & Yoghurt Cake www.xawaash.com In Somalia, this was the closest thing we had to a fruitcake. Raisins were always special and were reserved for decorating and topping the festive rice as well adding to cakes. Apart from this cake, the only other cake we remember that had fruits was Panettone,… Continue reading Butter & Yoghurt Cake (Doolshe Buuro 2) Gâteau au Beurre et au Yaourt
Pound Cake (Doolshe Buuro) Quatre-Quarts باوند كيك
English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Pound Cake www.xawaash.com Pound cakes were some of the few cakes that were popular in Somalia. They were second in popularity to sponge cakes. Pound cakes were sold in teashops but they were not baked there. They were sold to the teashops by ladies who baked them at home and the… Continue reading Pound Cake (Doolshe Buuro) Quatre-Quarts باوند كيك
Eid Cookies (Buskud) Biscuits de l’Eid
We call these Eid cookies because my mother (Abdullahi’s) used to bake them every Eid back home in Mogadishu, Somalia. On the night before Eid, we would be sent to the neighbourhood bakery to bring a dozen or so cookie sheets. My mother would mix the cookie dough and we would help pressing the… Continue reading Eid Cookies (Buskud) Biscuits de l’Eid
Sesame Snaps (Sisin) Croquants au sésame
Sesame snaps make for a great snack and they keep well. In Brava, these treats were always available when we visited relatives. Grandmothers and aunts, in particular, “had” to have them stashed in large tins and they would hand out one or two of these brittles to their nephews and nieces whenever they visited… Continue reading Sesame Snaps (Sisin) Croquants au sésame
Somali Halwa (Xalwo) Halwa Somali
For Somalis, Halwa (Xalwo) is synonymous with festive occasions, particularly weddings. When a Somali says, “Xalwaddeeda ma-cunin,” (lit. “I didn’t eat her halwa”) it means “I didn’t attend her wedding.” Made mainly of butter/oil and sugar, halwa is laden with calories. However, it was a delicacy that was consumed on special occasions and in… Continue reading Somali Halwa (Xalwo) Halwa Somali
Crunchy Dough Balls (Daango Bur Laga Sameeyay) Billes Croustillantes (Zibuuri)
You wake up one morning feeling alone, blue, and bored. What do you do? First, go to the kitchen and make a large lump of dough. Next, find yourself a quiet, cozy corner and start making tiny little balls with your fingers, all the while repeating, “Loves me, loves me not. Loves me, loves… Continue reading Crunchy Dough Balls (Daango Bur Laga Sameeyay) Billes Croustillantes (Zibuuri)
Mahamri (Qamdi) Pain Frit Sucré الباخمري
This triangular Sweet Fried Bread, known as Qamdi in Somalia, is similar to a doughnut but is less sweet. In cities across Somalia, qamdi as well as bur (Fry Dough) are common fare served in food stalls in marketplaces, in eateries spread along main thoroughfares, and is sold by street vendors. Qamdi originated in… Continue reading Mahamri (Qamdi) Pain Frit Sucré الباخمري
Sweet Potatoes (Bataato Macaan) Patates Douces
If you are going to have a dessert that has butter and sugar, you might as well have this dessert. At least the other half of the dessert (the sweet potato) is nutritious. Sweet potatoes pack more nutrition than most other vegetables. They are high in fibre, protein, and complex carbohydrates. They are also delicious… Continue reading Sweet Potatoes (Bataato Macaan) Patates Douces
Bottle Gourd Spaghetti (Bocor Macaan) Spaghetti de Courge Bouteille (Ntaambi ya Mabboori)
The following recipe is for sweet bottle gourd known in Brava as Ntaambi ya Maboori. The word Ntaambi means Vermicelli, and Ntaambi ya Mabboori is Vermicelli made of Bottle Gourd. During Ramadan (the month of fasting), this dessert is served after dinner in the majority of households. The bottle gourd must be young and tender. Buy the freshest ones you can… Continue reading Bottle Gourd Spaghetti (Bocor Macaan) Spaghetti de Courge Bouteille (Ntaambi ya Mabboori)