Somali Chapati (Sabaayad) Chapati Somali

Somali Chapati (Sabaayad) Chapati Somali

  This flatbread is different from the Indian chapati and is more like a paratha. The Somali chapati (sabaayad) is crispy on the outside and flaky and tender inside. It is slightly sweet, and it is cooked to a golden colour with a little oil. This [Click for Full Recipe]

Potato & Cumin Rice (Bariis iyo Bataato) (Pilau) Pilaf de Riz aux Pommes de Terre et au Cumin

Potato & Cumin Rice (Bariis iyo Bataato) (Pilau) Pilaf de Riz aux Pommes de Terre et au Cumin

  This is an easy and tasty rice dish. It brings back beautiful memories of Mombasa, Kenya. However, this dish is not limited to Kenya but is popular in many parts of East Africa. The cumin seeds gives it a flavour that is hard to [Click for Full Recipe]

Swahili Fish Curry (Malaay Qumbe) (Mchuzi Wa Samaki) Curry de Poisson Swahili سمك بصلصة الكاري

Swahili Fish Curry (Malaay Qumbe) (Mchuzi Wa Samaki) Curry de Poisson Swahili سمك بصلصة الكاري

English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Swahili Fish Curry www.xawaash.com When we started this blog, one of our objectives was to feature recipes from neighbouring countries. This is one such recipe that is popular among the Swahili-speaking peoples of East Africa. We added a few touches of [Click for Full Recipe]

Eggs & Veggies (Ukun iyo Qudaar) Oeufs et Légumes

Eggs & Veggies (Ukun iyo Qudaar) Oeufs et Légumes

We usually cook this recipe on weekends, on those days that we wake up a bit later than usual. Yes, we do sleep in on weekends! It’s true that it makes it harder to wake-up on Monday mornings, but we do it anyhow, particularly on [Click for Full Recipe]

Somali Corn Grits (Soor Furfur ah) (Zijjo zaa Gelle) Semoule de Maïs Somali

Somali Corn Grits (Soor Furfur ah) (Zijjo zaa Gelle) Semoule de Maïs Somali

Zijjo zaa Gelle (Corn Grits) is a staple in Brava, Somalia. The Bravanese are known for maanda or muufo Baraawe (Bravanese bread), but this is the main dish served for the midday meal. Unlike soor (polenta-style grits) that is popular in other parts of Somalia, [Click for Full Recipe]

Roasted Lamb (Hilib Ari la-foorneeyey) Agneau Rôti au Four

Roasted Lamb (Hilib Ari la-foorneeyey) Agneau Rôti au Four

When my mother’s maternal grandfather moved to Mogadishu, he stayed at his daughter’s house. All his life he was a pastoralist but as he became old and feeble, he decided to settle down. City life was new to him and he had to learn a [Click for Full Recipe]

Somali Halwa (Xalwo) Halwa Somali

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 [Click for Full Recipe]

One-pot Rice & Goat Meat (Bariis Isku-karis) Potée de Riz à la Viande de Chèvre

One-pot Rice & Goat Meat (Bariis Isku-karis) Potée de Riz à la Viande de Chèvre

We have received so many requests to make this dish that we moved it up in the list of recipes that we want to post. It is quite understandable though why so many wanted us to post it. This one-pot rice dish can be very [Click for Full Recipe]

Chicken Steak (Bisteeki Digaag) Steak de Poulet

Chicken Steak (Bisteeki Digaag) Steak de Poulet

This is an easy and very quick dish that is useful to have in your repertoire. It’s fantastic when you get unannounced visitors who need to be fed in no time. Somalis, or at least first generation immigrant Somalis, are known to just show up [Click for Full Recipe]

Mixed Vegetables (Qudaar) Légumes mélangés

Mixed Vegetables (Qudaar) Légumes mélangés

Somalis have very few vegetarian dishes. In the southern part of Somalia, where most of the agriculture is concentrated, more vegetables are consumed. For most Somalis, vegetables are added to meat dishes. Potatoes, carrots, green peppers, pumpkins, and plantains are popular. The following is a [Click for Full Recipe]