Mahamri (Qamdi) Pain Frit Sucré الباخمري

Sweet Fried Bread & Samosas

Qamdi and Samosas

 

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 Swahili towns along the East African coast. It is part of the East African Fried Bread family that includes mahamri and mandazi.  There are as many recipes as there are names and variant spellings of these sweet fried breads: mahamri, mamri, mandazi, maandazi, maandaazi, qamdi (Somalia), khamdi (Somalia), ba khamri (Yemen).  

Some recipes replace the water in the recipe with milk or coconut milk. Some add powdered milk, and there are recipes that use baking powder instead of yeast. 

In Somalia, qamdi is paired with samosas or is eaten with a cup of shaah caddeys (spiced Somali tea with milk). It is not considered a bread as such, the way it is in Kenya and Tanzania, where it is common to use mandazi for scooping up maharage (cooked beans).  

Qamdi dough was usually prepared a day ahead for it to rise overnight. This recipe uses instant dry yeast which cuts the prep time to 2½ hours.

 

Le Pain Frit Sucré triangulaire, connu sous le nom de Qamdi en Somalie, est similaire à un doughnut mais en moins sucré. Dans les villes en Somalie, qamdi ainsi que bur (Pâte Frite) sont les nourritures que l’on sert d’habitude dans des stands sur les marchés, dans les restaurants qui parsèment les rues principales, et sont aussi vendus par les vendeurs de rue.

Qamdi est originaire des villes Swahili de la côte d’Afrique de l’Est. Il fait partie de la famille des pains frits d’Afrique de l’Est qui comprend aussi mahamri et mandazi. Il existe autant de recettes différentes que de noms et d’orthographe pour ces pains frits sucrés: mahamri, mamri, mandazi, maandazi, maandaazi, qamdi (Somalie), khamdi (Somalie), ba khmari (Yémen).

Certaines recettes remplacent l’eau de la recette par du lait ou du lait de coco. Certains ajoutent du lait en poudre, et certaines recettes utilisent de la levure chimique à la place de la levure (de boulanger).

En Somalie, qamdi est servi avec des samosas ou avec une tasse de shaah caddeys (thé au lait épicé Somali). Il n’est pas considéré comme un pain à part entière, comme au Kenya et en Tanzanie où le mandanzi est utilisé pour attraper maharage (les haricots cuits).

D’habitude on prépare la pâte à qamdi la veille pour qu’elle lève la nuit. Cette recette utilise de la levure instantanée qui réduit le temps de préparation à 2 heures et demie.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp (15 mL) Instant dry yeast

¼ cup (119 mL) Water (for the yeast mixture)
1 tsp (5 mL) Sugar (for the yeast mixture)
4 cups (560 g) Flour (all-purpose)
½ cup (100 g) Sugar
2 Large eggs
½ cup (119 mL) Water
¼ cup (59 mL) Oil
Cardamom or Vanilla (optional)

See below for an eggless recipe

 

Mukawinaadka:

1 QW (15 mL) Qamiirka degdegga
¼ koob (119 mL) Biyo (qamiirka lagu qaso)
1 qy (5 mL) Sokor (qamiirka lagu daro)
4 koob (560 g) Bur
½ koob (100 g) Sokor
2 Ukun waaweyn
½ koob (119 mL) Biyo
¼ koob (59 mL) Saliid
Hayl shiidan ama faniila (haddaad doontid)

Hoos waxaa ku qoran soo’da qamdi aan ukun lahayn

 

Ingrédients:

1 cs de Levure Instantanée
¼ de mesure d’Eau (pour le levain)
1 cs de Sucre (pour le levain)
4 mesures de Farine (blanche)
½ mesure de Sucre
2 Oeufs
½ mesure d’Eau
¼ de mesure d’Huile
Cardamome ou Vanille (optionnel)

 

Directions:

Mix the yeast, ¼ cup of lukewarm water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes for the yeast to activate. 

In a mixing bowl, place the flour, ½ cup sugar, the eggs, ½ cup water, the oil, and the activated yeast. Mix, then knead the dough, forming it into a ball. Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm place for 2 hours.

Divide the risen dough into 4 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Press down the ball to flatten it into a disc. Using a rolling pin, roll out each disc into a circular shape of a ¼ inch thickness. Using a knife, cut each circle into quarters. 

After preparing all dough this way, cover and let the qamdi dough proof for 30 minutes.

Using a frying pan or wok, heat vegetable or canola oil on medium heat. Drop the qamdi into the oil and as soon as it surfaces, start splashing it with the hot oil to help it to puff up. Turn when the bottom becomes golden brown, about 1 minute. Fry the other side for another minute. Drain on a plate covered with paper towels. 

Instructions:

Mélanger la levure, ¼ de mesure d’eau tiède, et une cuillère à café de sucre. Laisser reposer au moins 10 minutes pour que la levure s’active.

Dans le bol du robot, placer la farine, ½ mesure de sucre, les oeufs, ½ mesure d’eau, l’huile, et la levure activée. Mixer puis pétrir la pâte, jusqu’à ce qu’elle forme une boule. La couvrir et la laisser la pâte lever pendant 2 heures dans un endroit chaud

Diviser la pâte levée en 4 morceaux et façonner chaque morceau en une boule. Appuyer sur la boule pour l’aplatir en un disque. Avec un rouleau à pâtisserie, étaler chaque disque en un cercle de ¼ de pouce (0,64 cm) d’épaisseur. Avec un couteau, couper chaque cercle en quarts.

Une fois la pâte ainsi préparée, la couvrir et la laisser reposer pendant 30 minutes.

Dans une poêle à frire ou un wok, faire chauffer l’huile de colza ou l’huile végétale à feu moyen. Mettre le qamdi dans l’huile et dès qu’il remonte à la surface, l’arroser d’huile pour l’aider à gonfler. Retourner quand le dessous est marron doré, au bout d’à peu près 1 minute. Frire l’autre côté pendant encore une minute. Égoutter sur une assiette recouverte de papier absorbant.

Kneading the dough

Kneading the dough - Pétrir la pâte

Let the dough rise

Let the dough rise for 2 hours in a warm location - Laisser la pâte lever pendant 2 heures dans un endroit chaud

The dough after rising for 2 hours

The dough after rising for 2 hours - La pâte après 2 heures de levage

Divide the dough into 4 and shape into discs

Divide the dough into 4 and shape into discs - Diviser la pâte en 4 et former des disques

Roll the dough into a circular shape then divide into 4 pieces - Étaler la pâte en cercle puis diviser en 4 morceaux

After preparing all the dough this way, cover and let the qamdi dough proof for 30 minutes.

Après avoir préparé la pâte, couvrir et laisser la pâte à qamdi reposer 30 minutes.

The dough is ready to be fried

The dough is ready to be fried - La pâte est prête à être frite

Frying the Qamdi

Frying the Qamdi - Friture du Qamdi

Sweet Fried Bread

Sweet Fried Bread (Qamdi) Pain Frit Sucré

Sweet Fried Bread and Samosas

Qamdi and Samosas - Qamdi et Samosas

Sweet Fried Bread

Sweet Fried Bread - Pain Frit Sucré

Sweet Fried Bread

Sweet Fried Bread - Pain Frit Sucré

Sweet Fried Bread

Sweet Fried Bread - Pain Frit Sucré

 

 

Eggless Qamdi:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp instant dry yeast
2 Tbsp water for the yeast
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp baking powder

 

Qamdi aan ukun lahayn:

3 koob bur
1/3 koob sokor
1 QW qamiirka degdegga
2 QW oo qamiirka lagu qaso
1/2 koob caano qumbe
1/2 koob biyo
1/4 qy beekin bawdar

 

 

 

 

Related posts:

101 Responses to Mahamri (Qamdi) Pain Frit Sucré الباخمري
  1. Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen
    October 25, 2011 | 5:57 pm

    look at that hollow, wow.. this is new for me! Thank you for sharing!

    • A&L
      October 25, 2011 | 6:17 pm

      Thanks, Jessica. We see you have a great site!

  2. anna
    October 25, 2011 | 6:10 pm

    great post! i’ve met many somalis through my work, and i’m fascinated to learn more about their culture–especially the food! your site has been a great start…

    • A&L
      October 25, 2011 | 7:13 pm

      Thank you for your comment Anna. Happy exploring!

  3. Jennifer
    October 26, 2011 | 9:57 am

    These are beautiful! I’m amazed by how similar they are to a fried bread we love here in New Mexico, sopaipillas, which we serve plain with honey or stuffed with savory things like beans and meat.

    I know nothing about Somali food, but am definitely interested in learning more about it. Keep up the good work!

    • A&L
      October 26, 2011 | 10:13 am

      Thank you very much Jennifer. I just did a quick google search and yes they are similar to sopaipillas. The Wikipedia entry on sopaipillas says, “The word sopaipilla is the diminutive of sopaipa, a word that entered Spanish from the Mozarabic language of Muslim Iberian peninsula.” Our world is indeed interconnected.

  4. Margie
    November 10, 2011 | 8:27 pm

    Oh my goodness, these look so yummy!

    • A&L
      November 10, 2011 | 10:02 pm

      Yummy they are. Thanks for stopping by.

  5. Suad
    November 30, 2011 | 10:41 pm

    I can’t wait to try these for my family. I often see so many different versions of this recipe, but by far yours seems to be the simplest and the most appetizing!!! I can’t wait to get my hands on these sweet babies!! I absolutely <3 these!!

    • A&L
      November 30, 2011 | 11:21 pm

      Here’s a tip:
      During Ramadan, we make a large batch. We refrigerate some of the dough for 2 to 3 days and we freeze some. Do this after the dough proofs and make sure you bring the dough back to room temperature before using.

  6. Hayad
    December 11, 2011 | 9:30 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing these recipes. For the first time I enjoyed making soor and sweat fried breads. Please keep posting more recipes including Halwa making.

    • A&L
      December 11, 2011 | 11:21 pm

      We will post the recipe for Halwo soon, God willing. We are glad that you liked the recipes.

  7. shamso
    January 2, 2012 | 8:47 pm

    I’m very happy not just happy but beyond happy to find this website (Somali food) every time you Google Somali food its difficult to find, but you guys you made excellent job however I’m really glad to find you’re website come-on people it’s time to shine Somalian food. I tried some of your recipes and I like them very much, however I fail to make the mandazi like you did in the video, I did watch several times the video and I don’t know where I got wrong. When I made my mandazi it needed more water I mean it was a bite dry the dough and I added more water but it was tasty and everyone enjoyed.
    So any suggestion plz help.
    Khayr farabadan ayaan idiin rajaynayaa kuligiinaba aamiin

    • A&L
      January 2, 2012 | 9:00 pm

      We’re happy that you like the website. Thanks for the comment.

      For this recipe and many others, it’s important to follow the directions exactly, especially the measurements. Use a measuring cup and measuring spoons. That way you will be guaranteed perfect results every time.

      • umusumaya
        March 26, 2012 | 9:20 pm

        asc adaa umahadsan tahay masha.allah plz nosoo geli kackac qumbe shushumow i cun asc

        • A&L
          March 28, 2012 | 9:14 pm

          Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuhu,
          Hadduu Illaahay yiraahdo kulligooda waan soo gelin doonnaa.

  8. f
    January 3, 2012 | 7:25 am

    So glad i found this recipe, my husband and kids adore these. My husband calls them somali doughnuts. I love the website, great tool for hopeless people like me who have lost most of their culture. While I may not be able to pass on the language, so glad i can at least pass on bravanese food to my kids, and impress my mum next time she visits. Many thanks for taking the time to put up these recipes.

    • A&L
      January 3, 2012 | 6:38 pm

      Thank you for the comment. We are happy that you are able to make our traditional foods and serve them to your family.

  9. shamso
    January 3, 2012 | 3:29 pm

    Asalamacalaykum waad kumahad santihiin sida dagdaga ah ee aad igu soo jawaabteen khayr Alle ha idiin siiyo waan isticmaalay measuring cups iyo measuring spoons labadaba. burka masoodartay markaasna madaxa miyaad ka level gareesay mise inta aad sodartay asaga oo madaxiisa tuur ah ayaad mixed kushubtay su’aashaydakale ukunta weyn miyaa la isticmalaa mise tanyar
    waa mahadsantihiin

    • A&L
      January 3, 2012 | 6:35 pm

      Wacalaykum assalaam. Burka waa in la-levelgareeyo. Waxaad fiirisaa video-ha canjeerada. Sida ugu fiican waa inaad qaaddo ku-buuxisid koobka. Lama rabo in koobka xoog loo daro oo uu koobka cuslaado. Burka waxaa la-rabaa inay hawo ku jirto (airy).

      Qamiirka 1/4 koob biyo ah maku-qastay? Oo hadhoow burka 1/2 koob biyo ah maku-dartay?

      Ugu dambayn, koobka aan isticmaalno waa 237 ml, qaaddadana waa 15 ml. Ukunta aan mar walba isticmaalno waa tan weyn (large), ma’ahan ‘extra large’.

  10. shamso
    January 4, 2012 | 1:14 pm

    Asalamacalaykum aniga waxaan isticmalay koobka 250 ml lakiin hada waxaan isticmalay koobka 237 ml eeshcalaa uu igu soobaxay waana mahadsantihiin

    • A&L
      January 4, 2012 | 4:43 pm

      Maashaa-Allaah!

  11. Nimco
    January 10, 2012 | 3:09 am

    Asalaamu Caleykum,

    Oh mashaaAllah gotta let you guys know, I love your blog–it is awesome! You and your husband are talented. What I love especially about this blog is the little stories behind each type of food, it’s origin, your experiences etc. Even though I am somali, I’ve never experienced all the things you describe in the stories(so jealous!) because I grew up in the U.S; we left Somalia when I was six. But alhamdulilah I know how to make most of the food, especially the basic stuff like canjeero, baris, pasta, suugo, hilib ari etc…but Im still learning more about the pastries. I’ve never heard of Qamdi though. But from the way it looks, I think I also heard it as bandhaase right? not sure. Anyway, your blog is really cool. I love it. May Allah guide you guys, protect you guys and always and forever have mercy on you and your family:) And may Allah bring peace to our country, Allahuma Amin. So sorry for the very long message, just got so excited about your blog:))))

    Salaam,
    Nimco

    • A&L
      January 10, 2012 | 10:49 am

      Wacalaykum Assalaam,

      Thank you so much for your comment. We enjoyed reading every word of it. Thank you.
      For someone who grew up in the U.S., you are lucky to know how to cook Somali food. Kudos to your parents or whoever taught you how to cook.

      We believe that bandhaase is the Somalization Mandaazi which is Qamdi. We hope to post more recipes of traditional Somali sweets and pastries. We have a long list that we hope to cover quickly, but both of us work full time and we wish the day had more than 24 hours!

      Thank you for your prayers and we wish you well. May God grant you your wishes and may He protect you and your family.

  12. deeqa
    March 25, 2012 | 11:13 am

    asc maansha alaah ilaah ajir ha idinka siiyo sidaad noogu soo bandhigteen cuna karinta qiimaha leh waliba luqadeeyni oo aan aad uga hlay mansha alaah

    • A&L
      March 25, 2012 | 9:02 pm

      Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuhu,
      Waad ku mahadsantahay hadalladaada fiican oo qiimaha leh.

  13. Muminah
    May 1, 2012 | 1:30 pm

    ManshaAllah, it looks so good. and i like the way u are explaining everything. it’s impossible to get tired of reading and understanding the recipe. i have a question ,,,,what is the brand of the mixing machine?, i am in USA, where can i buy it?? thnx

    • A&L
      May 1, 2012 | 7:19 pm

      Thank you very much for the nice comment. We use Kitchenaid, but you can use any brand you like. You can find mixers at Walmart and many other places.

  14. Maryam
    July 1, 2012 | 3:42 pm

    Asc wad. Idin salamy saln qaliga ah walalah sharfa qimaha leh ad iyo ad ayda u mahad san tihin …:) waxa rabi Ina ogado sida loo kariyo mashmash plzzz

    • A&L
      July 2, 2012 | 1:13 am

      Hadduu Eebbe idmo mar dhow ayaan soo geling doonnaa.

  15. Amira
    July 22, 2012 | 1:29 pm

    Asc wr wb waa idiin salaamay salaan aad iyo aad u qiimo badan, maasha alaah aad aan ugu helay sida qalbiga fiican aad noogu soo bandhigteen cunta karinta, hada oo soon tahay aad ayaan idinkaga faaideystay qeyr ilaah ha idiin siiyo waxaan ku noolahay london dalka ingariiska.mahadsanidiin 100%

    • A&L
      July 22, 2012 | 3:14 pm

      Wacalaykum assalaam waraxmatullaahi wabarakaatuh,
      Waa ku-mahadsan tahay salaanta qiimaha badan leh. Aad ayaan ugu faraxnay inaad ka-faa’iidaysatay xawaash. Waa ku-mahadsan tahay faalladaada fiican.
      Ramadaan kariim adiga iyo inta London naga daawata oo dhan.

  16. qali sheego
    July 22, 2012 | 7:06 pm

    asc wlalahey wn idn salamay sual ayan qabaa pls hadaa iga jawabi kartaan cup ka wx lagu qabiro wuxuu leyahay same tiro like 1 cup waxaa ka hoseya 1/4 1/2 3/4
    between i cup and 2 cup same lee waye so midkee isticmalaa hadaa dhahdaan ku dar 1/2 cup water
    thanks sorry sualaha badan i am so happy in ad wax idinka barto wan isku dayaa wax waliba ad soo galisaan lakin cabirka ayan ku wareraa in ad kawadaan cabirka ka hoseya 1 cup or inta u dhaeysa 1 and 2
    jazaaka alaah walallahey

    • A&L
      July 22, 2012 | 7:29 pm

      Wacalaykum assalaam waraxmatullaahi wabarakaatuh,

      Waxaa isticmaashaa 1/2-ka ugu hooseeya koobka. 1/2-ka u-dhexeeya 1 iyo 2 waa hal koob iyo nus (1 1/2). Ha ka-walwalin, su’aasha aad qabtid na-weydii. :)

  17. Bella Chihi
    July 23, 2012 | 2:25 pm

    Masha’allah I love your cooking -Do you have Instagram ? Please email me and let me know. I myself love to cook but I only blog about it via instagram and Facebook. I hope to swap recipes with you, I will be cooking everything on your blog insha’allah. I’m from Baraawe but raised in the US and my husband is from Tunisia -so you can only imagine the recipes that come out of my kitchen LOL ma’salaame! You can find me Via Facebook too Bella Chihi

    • A&L
      July 23, 2012 | 7:11 pm

      We don’t use Instagram but we are on Facebook. Search for Xawaash on facebook. We will email you, God willing. Thank you for your comment.

  18. Bella Chihi
    July 23, 2012 | 2:25 pm

    I’m so happy I found your blog!

    • A&L
      July 23, 2012 | 7:11 pm

      Thank you very much!

  19. Hayat
    July 23, 2012 | 5:58 pm

    Can this recipe be used to make bread.

    • A&L
      July 23, 2012 | 7:34 pm

      It cannot be used to make bread. We will post a recipe for pizza very soon and that dough can also be used for making bread. Ramadan Karim.

  20. Bella Chihi
    July 23, 2012 | 11:12 pm

    Okay insha’allah I will find your Facebook and add you! I just want to say that I just made the mishmash today -my mom has always made it for us growing up but since I moved and got married she could never give me the “exact” measurements for the recipe so it always turned out bad. I could never make it without her being here with me BUT today I made YOUR recipe and it was WON DER FULL! My husband loved it. Ramadan Mubarak, and thank you again!

    • A&L
      July 24, 2012 | 5:08 pm

      Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are happy we could help.

    • Luul Cabdulqaadir
      July 26, 2012 | 3:07 pm

      Asalaamu Caleykum Waraxmatullahi Wabarakaatuh!!!

      Ramadaan Kariim :)

      JZK for your time & effort you put into this, masha’Allah words could never express the asset this blog is to our family & Somali society as a whole.
      With that said, a friend had mentioned there’s a version of this without eggs & replaced with coconut milk but of course she has no measurements lol so I cannot just go by that. Would you happen to give me measurements for the ‘no eggs’ version? I’d greatly appreciate it, JZK!

      • A&L
        July 28, 2012 | 12:20 am

        Wa’alaikum as-salam warahmatullahi wabarakatu,
        Thank you so much for your generous compliment. It will definitely give us a boost. You make our efforts worthwhile.
        The reason we took longer to reply was because we wanted to give you an informed answer. We came up with a recipe for you and we tested it.
        Here is the recipe for the eggless Qamdi:

        3 cups all-purpose flour
        1/3 cup sugar
        1 Tbsp instant dry yeast
        2 Tbsp water for the yeast
        1/2 cup coconut milk
        1/2 cup water
        1/4 tsp baking powder

        Follow the same steps we used for the other Qamdi recipe. Thank you for your patience. Ramdan Karim.

  21. Bella Chihi
    July 25, 2012 | 1:46 pm

    Today I’m making this bur qamdi -I was wondering could I replace the “oil” for the mixture with real butter? I have some farm fresh butter from the Amish market I want to use it! Let me know as soon as possible, I will be making this for Iftar tonight. Thank you!!

    • A&L
      July 25, 2012 | 2:32 pm

      You absolutely can. We think they will taste and smell better:–)… (drooling)

  22. Naima
    July 25, 2012 | 10:02 pm

    I love your website. My cooking is slowly improving (slowly, is the key word here). Insha’alah by the end of Ramadhan, I will be a much better cook. I wish you could see me watching the videos. I never paid that much attention to anthing in my life.

    On behalf of my family, we thank you for your effort.

    Jazakhallah

    • A&L
      July 25, 2012 | 11:26 pm

      You made us laugh so hard! Thank you very much for your lovely comment. Ramadan Karim.

  23. ubah
    August 1, 2012 | 5:08 pm

    asc wr wb aad ayaa umahad santahay waan ka helay barnaamijkaan wax badan ayaan ka faa iiday wana ku mahadsantahay waxaan ubaahnaa online cashiro kubaxo haday jiraan mahad sanid

    • A&L
      August 2, 2012 | 12:11 am

      Wacalaykum assalaam waraxmatullaahi wabarakaatuh,
      Waan ku-faraxsan nahay inaad ka-faa’iidday. Annaga casharo online ma-bixino. Mahadsanid.

  24. Ayan
    August 2, 2012 | 5:51 am

    Asalaamu aleykum,

    Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family. You have no idea how excited I was to have come across your website! There are so many recipes I’m looking forward to trying this Ramadan. I’ve been looking everywhere for a bur recipe and when I came across this one, I realized it looks exactly the same. Is there a difference between Bur and Qamdi? May Allah reward you for you efforts insha’Allah :)

    • A&L
      August 2, 2012 | 10:14 pm

      Wa’alaikum as-salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
      Thank you for your nice compliment and for your excitement about the website. We hope you will like the recipes.
      There are different types of bur like bur macaan bur saliid and some people call qamdi bur qamdi.
      We wish you and your family a happy Ramadan. Thank you

  25. Amira
    August 5, 2012 | 7:59 am

    hi asalamucaleykum i really love ur website it has been really usefull to me especially in ramadam.I would like to ask you how to make burka dhaxda ka boqsan.

    :) THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!!
    AND RAMADANKARIM I LIVE IN LONDON

    • A&L
      August 6, 2012 | 11:01 pm

      Thank you very much for your comment. God willing, we will post the recipe you asked for. Ramadan Karim.

  26. Bella Chihi
    August 7, 2012 | 3:16 pm

    Thank you! I did and they turned out wonderfully -even the next day left overs. My husband just munched on them all night long!

    • A&L
      August 7, 2012 | 10:27 pm

      Thank for letting us know, and thank you for your comments.

  27. hanan
    August 14, 2012 | 5:51 am

    Salaam Alaikum walaal,

    I love your site! Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy lives to post all these recipes for our benefit; it is much appreciated.

    I notice that you use the instant kind of yeast which typically you just add to dry ingredients; however you activated it here like one does with dry active yeast…so is it possible to use the latter since that’s what i have at the moment?

    Thanks in advance :)

    • A&L
      August 14, 2012 | 10:40 pm

      Wa’alaikum as-salam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
      Thank you very much for your kind comment. We are very happy that you like the website.
      Sometimes we like to test the yeast by activating it to make sure that it is still good. There should be no problem in using active dry yeast if you activate it. Thank you.

  28. Inamohde
    October 24, 2012 | 7:10 pm

    A&l, Thank you for this recipe. My mother who departed in 2004, used to make this when I was a child but I never wanted to learn it from her, although I loved it. I have fond memories when I used to everytime snitch a few from the hot plate to my mother’s puzzlement. Now in my 40s and living abroad from Malaysia, I longed for the dishes that mom used to serve us and this is one of them. I looked for this bread recipe and found plenty but none as sweet as this, like she used to make them. Fry bread is not listed at all in any Malaysian or Indonesian (my mom’s heritage) recipe links. Funny how some dishes that Mom served originated from foreign countries. Just showed how worldly she was. God bless you.

    • A&L
      October 24, 2012 | 11:38 pm

      Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts of your mother with us. May God have mercy on her soul. We are always very happy to hear that our recipes bring back family memories. We are extremely delighted that the recipe worked well for you.

  29. Mohamed Farah
    December 14, 2012 | 1:15 am

    Aaad iyo aad ayad u mahadsantihin walaalayaal wabsitekan wan jeclahay wlhi oo reerkeyga wan tusa how to cook the food wayna kariyaan insha alah mustaqbalka xaaskeyga ayaa ii karin doonto

    • A&L
      December 14, 2012 | 10:50 pm

      Adigaa mahadda mudan walaal. Waan ku faraxnay inaad jeclaatay website-ka. Waa ku mahadsan tahay faallada.

  30. Sabrina
    January 14, 2013 | 7:21 pm

    Thank you..it was very helpfull mash’allah.

    • A&L
      January 14, 2013 | 9:17 pm

      Thank you for letting us know.

  31. Um Yunis
    February 28, 2013 | 7:45 am

    Dear Layla and Abdullahi,
    Waw what a wonderful sweet,, I can’t wait to make it and tell you how did I go with it ,, I am a big fan to your website and I managed to copy nearly 5-6 types of food and I always pray for you and ask Allah to make your life and after life beautifull as you changed mine. I would like to know if you guys managed yet to show us how to make perfect Qamdi ? and what are you guys up to in Ramadan this year ? I love you both in Islam

    • A&L
      February 28, 2013 | 10:32 pm

      Dear Um Yunis,
      Thank you very much for your heart-warming comment and for your prayer for us. It really touched our hearts. We hope that God Almighty will always grant you more than what you pray for us.

      This recipe for Qamdi is a very good one and we hope you will like it. Insha’Allah for Ramadam we will try to do our best and hope God will help us. We love you too for the sake of God.

      • Um Yunis
        March 1, 2013 | 12:16 am

        Alsalamu aleykum Layla and Abdillahi,

        Thank you very much for your immediate responding to my email last night. I just wanted to know guys if you have posted any where about how to cook “Sareen”. People from the north of somalia call it Qabadin. MaSha allah guys you are Nuur calaa Nuur .

        • A&L
          March 1, 2013 | 12:26 am

          Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
          Oh! you meant Qamadi. We did not post it as yet, but it is on our to do list. Thank you for explaining what you meant.

  32. umm Ayah
    April 23, 2013 | 1:18 pm

    Asalamu alaikum. I also found this dry when I mixed it I had to add more water, and I used measuring cups. Could it be because I was mixing with my hands? Do you need less water when u use a mixer? Jazak Allahu Khair.

    • A&L
      April 26, 2013 | 11:35 pm

      Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
      It could be the way you measured the flour. If you packed the cups too much. Another reason could be the humidity. When the weather is very dry, you generally need to use more water with flour. We have added weight measurements for the ingredients which we hope will help.

  33. sumaya
    July 9, 2013 | 7:27 pm

    asalam calaykum walaalayaal and RAMADAN KARIIM qeyr Allah idiin siiyo for all these recipes marka waxaan idiin way diin lahaa I want to try this recipe but I want to make it with only two cups of flour marka yeast ka cabiraadeeda ma bedalaa or I can make it with 1 tbsp. of yeast and other thing is can I put some of the dough in the fridge and fry it the next day? JAZAAKA ALLAH QAYR

    • A&L
      July 10, 2013 | 2:22 am

      Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
      Ramadaan Kariim walaal. Haddaad 2 koob bur ka samaysid wax walba nus waa inaad isticmaashaa. Qamiirka qaadda weyn nuskeeda ama 1 qaadda yar iyo bar ayaa ku dari kartaa. Qaboojiyaha ilaa 3 maalmood ayuu ku jiri karaa. Mahadsanid.

  34. Sidiqa
    July 13, 2013 | 6:30 pm

    Ramadan Mubarak
    Your recipes r lovely
    Tried the Mamri and they were v nice but not sweet enough.
    Hence, What is the maximum amount of sugar can I put in Mamri ?
    can I just use water n milk instead of eggs or coconut milk?
    Which cup measurement do you use?
    Thank you

    • A&L
      July 14, 2013 | 7:46 pm

      Ramadan Mubarak Sidika. Thank you for your comment. You can increase by a quater cup. Here is a recipe without eggs.
      3 cups all-purpose flour
      1/3 cup sugar
      1 Tbsp instant dry yeast
      2 Tbsp water for the yeast
      1/2 cup coconut milk
      1/2 cup water
      1/4 tsp baking powder

      The cup we use is 237 mL.

      • Sidiqa
        July 15, 2013 | 8:45 pm

        Thank you v much for your reply
        Could I just use water instead of coconut milk?

        • A&L
          July 15, 2013 | 11:42 pm

          We believe they won’t be as soft. Coconut milk has oil in it, so it is better to use 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup water instead.

          • Sidiqa
            July 16, 2013 | 8:08 pm

            Thank you

          • A&L
            July 17, 2013 | 1:19 am

            You are most welcome.

  35. ifrah
    July 20, 2013 | 4:45 pm

    mashaallah thank you I love your cooking n lov to to cook with u everyday

    • A&L
      July 21, 2013 | 12:03 pm

      Thank you, Ifrah, for your lovely comment.

  36. L
    August 7, 2013 | 3:33 pm

    ASW
    A&L Eid Mubarak !
    I have quick question, can I replace the water with cocunut milk?
    Thanks

    • A&L
      August 7, 2013 | 9:35 pm

      Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
      Eid Mubarak.

      Yes, you can use coconut milk instead of water, but omit the oil.

  37. Mulki
    October 23, 2013 | 12:59 pm

    I love this recipe! I remember having this for Iftar every Ramadhan whilst in Nairobi before moving to the States. You guys do a wonderful service not only to native Somalis but to others interested in learning about our culture, of course via food :) . I know you posted earlier on that you both work full time, but opening your own authentic Somali restaurant would not be a far fetched idea! In fact, I am planning on opening one in Minneapolis, any takers?? :)
    God bless you for all the good work you are doing.

    • A&L
      October 25, 2013 | 1:54 am

      Thank you very much for your nice comment, and thank you for your confidence in us. We wish you good luck.

  38. UmmTasnim
    December 9, 2013 | 12:44 pm

    Asalaamu Alaikum
    Thank you for this recipe. I don’t have yeast. Could I let it sit out overnight as you mention it was traditionally made? Any tips would be helpful. Thank you.

    • A&L
      December 9, 2013 | 10:09 pm

      Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
      You can use baking powder instead of the yeast.

  39. usaame cabdalle
    December 19, 2013 | 11:45 am

    asc

    barnaamijkiina barista umada somaaliyeed cunto krintu waa miid aad ii xiisa galiyey hadda waxa aad tahay macalikayga internat-ka

    (HALKAA KA SII WADA ILAAHAY HA INALA GARAB QABtO)

    kan waa kii iigu horreeyey waana uu i cajebiyey

    {تهانين تهانين}

    • A&L
      December 23, 2013 | 10:45 pm

      Mahadsanid walaal. Aad iyo aad ayaan ugu faraxsan nahay inaad jeclaatay. Qayr ayaan kuu rajaynaynaa.

    • A&L
      December 23, 2013 | 10:47 pm

      Mahadsanid walaal. Aad iyo aad ayaan ugu faraxsan nahay inaad jeclaatay.

  40. Um rayan
    December 25, 2013 | 2:43 pm

    حاولت كثير أني اعملها ولكن طعمها مو مثل وصفتك فعلاتحنن جزاك الله خير

    • A&L
      December 29, 2013 | 10:52 pm

      واياك، الف الف شكر

  41. ilhaan
    February 4, 2014 | 3:41 am

    waxaan idin ka codanayaa barayaasha sharafatale ee somaaliyeed in aad iga caawisaan barshada cunto karinta

  42. Gracy Machado
    April 30, 2014 | 4:54 am

    Helo A & L,

    I would like to allow the dough to rise overnight. How much baking powder would I use in place of yeast

    Tks.

    • A&L
      April 30, 2014 | 6:12 pm

      Hello Grace,

      It is yeast that is used for a slow rise. Double-acting baking powder reacts immediately with the liquid in the dough and causes an initial rise. The second rise happens when the dough is subjected to heat. Letting the dough sit overnight with only baking powder, will not help it rise. In fact, you will lose some of the initial rise. That is why you need to bake cake batter as soon as possible after adding baking powder.

      Regards,

      A&L

  43. Yasmin
    July 7, 2014 | 5:49 pm

    Asalaamu Alaikum,

    I would like to make a large batch of qamdi, there was an earlier suggestion about refrigerating the dough a few days before. At what stage would I refrigerate the dough and how would I store it?

    Thanks

    • A&L
      July 8, 2014 | 3:10 pm

      Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
      After preparing the dough let it rise for 2 hours then divide into small balls. Refrigerate or freeze in a ziplock bag.

  44. Jen
    August 11, 2014 | 12:10 am

    Love your recipes and demonstrations. Tried these a few times (my family loves them). When the dough rests for the 30 minutes, they deflate when I pick them up to place then in the oil. Tried placing the ‘quarters’ on a floured and oiled surface, but to no avail. So most of them are not hollow. How can I prevent that?
    Thanks.

    • A&L
      August 21, 2014 | 1:29 am

      Did you let the dough rise for 2 hours first?

      • Jen
        October 19, 2014 | 3:35 am

        Yes, I did leave the dough to rise for 2 hours. We have something very similar in my country (Trinidad & Tobago) called “float” but with less sugar.

  45. Lin
    December 30, 2015 | 7:21 pm

    Thanks for the recipe. I followed this recipe step by step but they are not hollow. Any suggestions?

  46. Najma
    May 12, 2016 | 12:40 pm

    I love your recipes mashaAllah! Do you think you could show us a baked version of these mahamri for those of us who are advised to stay away from deepfried foods? Thanks so much, i really enjoy your recipes and your videos!

Leave a Reply

Wanting to leave an <em>phasis on your comment?

Trackback URL http://xawaash.com/wp-trackback.php?p=1473

About (Annaga)
Qui Sommes Nous نبذة عنا

We are a husband and wife team and we live in Canada. In a world full of food complications, we make cooking very simple. Our recipe videos will make your cooking easy, relaxed and enjoyable. We bring you the foods we love from Somalia and from around the world.