We are a husband and wife team… Both of us were born in beautiful Somalia.
We live in Canada, our adopted homeland. We like travelling, photography and food. We love food, but we don’t live to eat. Nor do we eat to live. We live in between.
We love to cook and entertain. And we like to share. We want to share with you our love for Somalia and our memories of growing up there. Of peaceful and tranquil times.
Somali food is simple. No elaborate sauces or flavour extremes. It is not spicy hot nor is it bland. Through this website, we will attempt to cover all regions of Somalia and we will also venture into neighbouring countries. If there is anything we have learnt from our passion for food, it is about how the world is interconnected, and about our common humanity.
Today, Somalia is wounded. We look forward to a Somalia where unity and diversity prevail, where differences are celebrated, where everyone enjoys full rights regardless of race, creed, and gender, and where no one is above the law.
A PROPOS
Nous sommes une équipe mari et femme…Nous sommes tous les deux nés dans la belle Somalie.
Nous habitons au Canada, notre pays d’adoption. Nous aimons voyager, la photographie et la cuisine. Nous adorons la nourriture, mais nous ne vivons pas pour manger. Ni ne mangeons que pour vivre. Nous vivons en équilibre entre les deux.
Nous aimons cuisiner et recevoir. Et nous aimons partager. Nous souhaitons partager avec vous notre amour de la Somalie et nos souvenirs d’avoir grandi là-bas. En des temps paisibles et tranquilles.
La cuisine somalienne est simple. Pas de sauces élaborées ou d’assaisonnements extrêmes. Elle n’est pas brûlante mais elle n’est pas fade. A travers ce site, nous allons essayer de présenter toutes les régions de Somalie et nous ferons des incursions dans les pays voisins. S’il y a bien une chose que nous avons apprise de notre passion pour la cuisine, c’est que le monde est interconnecté, et notre humanité commune.
Aujourd’hui, la Somalie est blessée. Nous espérons que la Somalie redeviendra un pays où domine l’unité et la diversité, où les différences sont célébrées, où les droits de chacun sont respectés sans distinction de race, de religion, de genre, et où personne n’est au dessus de la loi.
Leila & Abdullahi. Seville, Spain 2009.
“Imagine we are all the same. Imagine we all agree about politics, religion and morality. Imagine we like the same types of music, food and coffee. Sound boring? Differences need not divide us. Embrace diversity. Dignity is everyone’s human right.”
Bill Brummel
“Variety is the spice of life.”
Hi Leila and Abdullahi,
Great homepage. I already forwarded the link to our daugthers.
Looking forward for more recipies (mufo!!). Keep on going.
Brigitte
Thank you Brigitte for your words of encouragement. They will keep us going.
masha alah walalahey ilahey ha idin xafido amiin
Aamiin. Mahadsanid walaal.
SCW salaan ka dib aad ayaan ugu faa idaystay web-saadkina sababtoo ah waxaan qabaa gabar norweegian ah cutadii somalidana waan uxiisay marka walaalayaal waxaan idinka codsan lahaa hadii ay macquul tahay inaad inoo soo gilisaan webka sida loo kariyo (BUR_SHIL_SHIL)ama (BUR_SALIID) wuxuu ku fiican yahay in lagu cuno -sanbuuska-
MAHAD_SANADIIN
Wacalaykum Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaatuh.
Waan ku faraxnay faalladaada waan na ku mahadsan tahay. Waxaan kaloo ku faraxsan nahay inaan kugu kaalmeynay inaad baratid cuntooyinka aan dhaqanka iyo hiddaha u leennahay. Hadduu Eebbe idmo waan soo gelin doonnaa bur saliid. Mahadsanid walaal.
AWWB Abdullahi iyo Laila YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING WALAAHI YOU HAVE TURNED ME TO A CHIEF lol I am addicted to your website above all ilaahey cimri dheer iyo caafimaad ha idin siiyo you are the best you are doing an Amazing job keep up the good work Kudos. May God Be with you and Bless you.
Love Always
Wa’alaikum Assalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
We are delighted to know that you like the website. Thank you very much for your encouraging words. God bless you.
brother can you make video showing how to make ashari lemon
Would like a very well done to you guys, enjoyed the info, and would love to wish you all the very best of success.
Regards
Saeeda
Thank you, Saeeda, for your positive feedback. We really appreciate it. We will do our best to keep it up.
Amazing website! Love the design, the beautiful photos, and the info. I like the Somali xawaash map and the concept of diversity that you expressed so eloquently.
Thank you very much for your comment. We hope to keep meeting your expectations.
I had wondered why the name “Xawaash” for your website but it made a lot of sense when I pondered over it. The use of spices is almost as old as human history itself.
The tiny but fertile islands of East of Africa are sources for several of the finest spices. Some of the spices are going to overlap and be used in many countries. One of the things that make each cuisine its own unique thing is the unique combinations of even similar spices. In our foods, we enjoy the ‘spice of life’ so I do believe that “Xawaash” is an apt name for this website. Very creative and very well done. Congratulations!
Thank you for your kind words. Please check regularly for new and exciting recipes.
Assalamu alaykum to both of you
Many congrats and encouragements from your family across the Atlantic (Manchester, UK). I must say that I’m overwhelmed by your website and the birth of this concept. Its Amazing….High class. Loving it totally. All this food display makes me appreciate my mum very much. In this busy and fast-paced world, where most people have replaced our delicious bravanese delights for quick fast-food packages, she still goes out of her way to make all these meals for us. May God always bless her and all those who strive to preserve good in this life. Ameen.
Wish you both success in this life and the akhirah.
Thank you very much Safiyah for your wonderful comments! That will sure give us a boost. It is nice to know that the effort we put in this website is being recognized.
Best wishes to you and all the family.
Can I hope/dream of a book? Please, you must work on a book and put all this great work on paper. I want something tangible to pass on to my prodgeny insha’Allah.
A book? It is not in our plans for now. If there is ever one, you’ll be the first to have it. Regards.
I’m seriously loving your blog, please keep it up don’t stop. I’ve just found your blog today and it is a jewel. Can’t wait to try the recipes.
Thank you very much Sarah for your awesome comment. We are currently working on many recipes which we hope to post soon.
Recommended by Yousuf. Would love to try it all. Also, the website is very nicely done.
Thank you Murtaza. We hope that you will try some of the recipes.
Lovely, lovely blog!
I look forward to trying many of your recipes. Especially the breads. I love doing fermented loaves.
Thanks for the nice comment. Since you like fermented loaves, we would like to suggest to you to try Bravanese Bread (Maanda). You won’t be disappointed.
I love this… I just love this and yeah I love Somali food… Every time I come here to check what is new… Baahi aa i qabato
Thank you, Ato. You said “Baahi aa i qabata” (I get hungry) when you visit this website. What do you do about that hunger? Roll up your sleeves man, and do something about it! Regards.
i love your website keep it up. i was wondering one of those days if you could add fress tuna from scratch. this will remind me the time i have spend in brava. thank you for the geat gift you have giving us.
We are familiar with that also. We will definitely include it in the list of recipes that we hope to post, God willing.
Just stumbled upon your youtube page.
I love how detailed and clear your recipes and videos are. Keep them coming!
Thank you, Amina. Keep visiting and spread the word!
Thank You very much Great home page, I look forward to trying many of your recipes, Its Amazing website! Love the design, the beautiful photos, and the info. is very clear Mashallah
Thank you, Yasmin. We’re happy that you liked it. Keep visiting.
I underestimated how divine our Somali cuisine is. Thank you Leila and Abdullahi for what u doing. I long searched for the Cnjala and Bajya recipe.
We need to rediscover our roots and appreciate our heritage. Kother, thanks for your comment.
Asalama Aleykum! Masha Allah! May Allah bring a lot of baraka to you and your family for all the efforts you have put in to this website. I love the professionalism and the great quality of video and pictures you have posted. I absolutely love the beautiful images and the easy step by step process in to making a xawaash dish. We often eat with our eyes, and all your recipes look exquisite and delicious. I have already tried a recipe and can’t wait to try more mouthwatering dishes. Please keep up the good work and keep those recipes coming.
Wa-Aleykum As-salaam! Thank you very much for your comment. We feel touched. May God Almighty bless you and your family. We hope to bring you more and more recipes and while it is a lot of work, we are enjoying it every step of the way.
Salaamualaykum, this blog is amazing and I love how you’ve given such detail into the Somali cuisine. As a second generation Somali living in the UK, it can be a little easy to forget about your culture and its cuisine so I’ll definitely be referring to your blog when I have a home of my own and I’ll be using your recipes!
It’s as though I’ve been transported to Somalia with all the food. Well done
Thank you for your comment. However, please don’t wait till you have a home of your own. Invite some friends and whip up a Somali meal. It will be a good practice for you as you showcase your culture and transport them to Somalia.
You’re very right; I’ve got a lot of foreign friends who are interested in Somali food. I’ll definitely do a little dinner for them
I’m so happy I found you blog, been browsing through your posts and I find everything so fascinating, the traditions, stories, perfect recipes and easy methods of preparations, the design and authenticity. The press is showing Somalia in black and white but your blog is a testimony of how diverse and wonderful your country, culture and traditions really are. I’ll surely be coming back for more vegan/vegetarian recipes.
Wish you continued success, may the blog grow bigger and bigger:)
Thank you very much for your comment. We visited your blog and liked it. We will definitely be exploring it more. Thank you for visiting.
I just love ur blog,the clean and clear presentation and the wit behind the stories like some of ur video captions, haha very funny.
Thanks a lot for visiting and for your nice comments.
asalamu aleykum, masha allah, I am in love with your blog, I have been looking for something like this(somali food) for a while, alhamdulilah I found you guys, thank you for sharing with us all, god bless you. have a nice day..
Thank you very much. We hope that you’ll find the recipes you’re looking for.
thanks a lot you two are my heros
Thanks Sahra for joining the Xawaash family.
Dearest Leila & Abdullahi!
I am a Somali woman born in Tanzania. I had never been in Somalia but I could smell and enjoy everything from Somalia while living in Tanzania. My father had a problem of integration in Tanzania and his best wishes was to one day fly with his family back to Burco… Somalia. Unfortunately he could not be able to do that and he passed away before he fulfilled his wishes. But what my father did was to make sure that we speak Somali, dance and sing Somali…eat Somali food listen to the beautiful sound of Radio Mogadisho and from that aspect we could feel like we were in Somalia!!!! Later on we had tremendous new neighbors who came from Barawa and hade lived in Mombasa, Kenya before moving to Tanzania, because of their family business which was booming in that part of Tanzania.
Through that family I could learn more dimension of differences among Somali people and what that different culture made Somalia to what it was. This story is very long, because I am planning one day to write a book then you may enjoy this story soon…..:-)!
Now I want to come to the point why I am writing this to you…First I want to congratulate you so much for the blog with the name Xawaash. For a few days ago a friend of me sent me that blog and I could not imagine that was true!!! I really love you guys!! I live in Sweden since 1986 and would like to follow up you site and even tell all my friends about that. You have made a revolution and keep going!!! If you want any receipt from me I can also send you………!
I even like the quote you wrote in your blog…! From Bill Brummel!
Keep in touch!
Zainab Mahamed Jama
Dearest Zainab,
Thank you for your heart-warming comment. We feel really touched.
The way you wrote your comment proves that you are a proud Somali raised by a caring Somali father, may he rest in peace and may God accept him in Heaven. Just by reading your comment we feel confident that you will write an excellent book with very interesting stories. We look forward to it.
Once again thank you for your wonderful comment. It is sufficient to keep us going. It’s our contribution to our fellow Somalis and readers as we attempt to share our culture and heritage with the rest of the world.
Best regards and wishes to you.
Leila & Abdullahi
Leila & Abdullahi,
Congrats on such a wonderful website, there are alot people like myself who grew up in the west and need help in cooking Somali Food now that we have grown and no longer live with Mom and Grandma. The specialists! Thanks again. Question? Do you guys operate a restaurant? If not, you should. I would love to invest!!!
Thank you Mohamed. We are happy that you found the website helpful. No, we don’t have a restaurant. Both of us work full-time in our own company.
Salaam,
I’m very impressed with the website and recipes! Thank you very much for putting this together. As a dental student in the United States, it is hard to get good Somali food since I don’t live with family. I had called my mother several times and had her give me tutorials on how to cook over the phone. Now, with your help, I have been able to finesse my cooking abilities and I couldn’t be more happier. Thank you for all your effort and passion for Somali cuisine.
JazakAllah Khair,
Shirwac
Thank you very much. We’re happy that you like the website and the recipes.
Mashaa Allah aad ayaan ugu faraxsanahay sida aad ugu dadasheen in aad soo bandhigtaan cunto Somali iyo waliba sida aad creative u tihiin oo waxyaabo fiican aad ugu kordhiseen iyo waliba sida aad u kala dhidhigteen waxyalaha loo bahan yahay markii wax la karinaayo. Very impressive as a couple xataa waad i cajabiseen. Maasha Allah mar kale, ILAAHEEY cimri dheer ha idin siiyo I must say even heesaha aad usoo xulataan markii wax la karinaayo waa qatar I like it. Thank u.
What a lovely comment from a lovely person! Aad ayaad ugu mahadsantahy faallada qiimaha leh oo aad qortay. Thanks again.
My Dear Leila and Abdullahi,
I salute you and my hat is off to you. I do not know where to start because I am very happy and excited to see your food blog. You guys made the most beautiful Somali Food Blog. I wish I can talk to you right now and express how I feel about your wonderful work.
Thanks
Barlin
Thank you very much Barlin. Your comment means a lot to us coming from the pioneer who wrote the first Somali cookbook, Somali Cuisine. Thank you once again.
Asalaamu Caleykum
first and foremost i like you thank you both husband and wife for a great blog and great recipes mashallah wonderful blog 
, I live in sweden. before your website i kind use to travel home a lot, I kind of miss moms cooking. I was student/worker at the time.
thanks to your videos and pics. Now when i go home, I do the cooking and my mom is amazed. She thinks i got a invisible wife that tutors me. Even my closest friends started cooking Somali recipes as we are all students. We thank you and my hat is off for you. Wish you both continue with you work that inspired us. Inshallah i wish you well. Take care. Love from Sweden.
Now i picked up the cooking and the recipe for this website. Alhamdullilah it is going great
Thank you Abdirasaaq. We are very happy that the website was so helpful for you. Thank you for the nice story about your experiences and about how your friends have started cooking Somali food. This by itself makes all our efforts worthwhile. We will keep posting those recipes, God willing, and we hope that you will keep cooking!
Dear, Leila and Abdullahi,
MaashaAllah you are a wonderful couple we are sick of hearing about war and famine and pirate this blog of yours is a new revolution for all Somalis to come up with creative ideas like yours and erase that ugly image of Somalis.Keep up the good work!
JSQ
Thank you so much, Marwo. That is very kind of you. Let each of us do his/her little part and we will all make a difference. Thanks again for your support. It means a lot to us.
Hello Leila & Abdullahi,
Thank you so much for sharing our homeland, Somalia. We feel warmth and welcomed when we watch your well produced videos. We say Mashallah every time we watch your videos. You’re very creative and funny at the same time. Well done guys. Keep up the good work.
P.S. Your style is excellent and we enjoy the music as well.
Thank you very much, Abdirahman & Fartun. When we started Xawaash, we had a feeling that it will be well-received. However, the response has been so overwhelming and it was beyond our wildest expectations. It just shows that there is a lot of good in the world.
I love your work and website!
Manshallah!
More of this pls!
Thank you very much for your comment and for visiting the website.
Hello, mansha allah i admire u 2 you are our hope well done kuwi isku waara insha allah
Aamiin abbaayo. Mahadsanid.
Bariido wacan:
Cabdullaahi iyo Layla,
Aad baan idiin ku gobaadinayaa [mahadinayaa], 100%, in aad Xawaash ku soo bandhigtaan cuntooyinka, macmacaannada iyo cabitaannada kala jaad-jaadka ah ee geyiga Soomaaliyeed laga karsado/samaysto. Hawl qurux badan, oo lagu hirto, ayaad haysaan: Eebbe ha idin ka abaal mariyo.
Mar kale, mahadsanidin,
Idiris
Assalaamu Caleykum walaal Idiris,
Waan ku faraxnay hadallada wacan ee aad inoo soo qortay. Howshaan aan hayno waa mid aan aad iyo aad ugu faraxsannahay. Waxaan aragnay in cuntooyinka Soomaalida ay ka daahsoon yihiin dhallaankeenna, siiba kuwa qurbaha ku korey. Sidaas awgeed waxaan jecleysannay inaan u soo bandhigno si qurux leh, taasoo keenaysa inuu hiddaheenna ugu muuqdo wax ay ku faani karaan. Waxayna ku abuureysaa jacaylka waddanka.
Mahadsanid,
Cabdullaahi iyo Layla
a/c
should i thank you for the creation of the website,the food or the time you took to respond for each post …….anyway keep up the good work you guys are doing and have and eventful year won’t you !
Thank you very much for the feedback. It is very much appreciated! We like to get feedback and we will respond to questions as well as requests for recipes.
Leila and Abdullahi
Love the site and your creativity. thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Sharifetta. Keep watching and get cooking!
Salam Alaycum
Can share with us on how to make coodkac please?
and thanks for sharing these wonderful Somali recipes
Wacalayku Assalaam Waraxmatullaahi Wabarakaautuhu
Oodkac! Wow! We love oodkac and what would a website like Xawaash be without oodkac… Insha-Allah we will post an easy and delicious recipe for oodkac.
Thank you for taking the time to comment.
I’ve already commented on a couple of your videos and I just wanted to say how great your website is. Clearly a lot of effort and creativity has gone into its development. I miss Mum’s food and now thanks to you, I get to try to cook some of these classic Somali dishes. I love the combination of Somali music with the videos. Time to wipe the dust off the stovetop!
Regards,
Faysal
Faysal, thank you very much for your kind words. Yes, do get cooking, invite friends and spread the love!
This is a wonderful idea you came up with. Its so kind of you to share your tasty recipes and help young females like me in the kitchen. I recently got married and my husband loves somalian food. Your site will help me so much and keep my husband smiling hahaha.
love from Aaliyah
Thank you so much for the lovely comment. We are absolutely delighted that you found the website helpful. We wish you a very happy and successful marriage. Keep each other smiling!
This website must have taken many effort to develop and run. I can tell you have great passion for Somali cousin! Great pictures, well done!
I also have one passion, that many of my friends know: I make and drink Camelachino! That is coffee made with fresh camel milk instead of cow milk. I have pictures, so, guys, if you want to share it on your menu, I will be more than happy to send you all the information and the photos you need!
Fii Amaani Laah,
Jiijiile
Thank you very much for your comment.
Camelachino
We love it! Send us the pictures together with some camel milk.
Congratulations on a job well done. The website looks amazing! Somalia cuisine and culture is well represented in the videos. The attention to detail is obvious! Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you very much, Biljana! Thank you for your words of encouragement and for taking the time to comment.
I’ve come across a few Somali food blogs, but the professionalism and authenticy of your blog is quite amazing. I’ve always thought Somali cuisine had great potential to become more mainstream – dishes like Kalaamudo are hidden gems (though I always make a point to my mum of adding potatoes!). I’m a student and not much of a cook; though I do have your website bookmarked! Maybe I’ll attempt one of the recipes, instead of waiting to go back home for mum’s cooking.
I hope more people discover your awesome blog, and I definetely recommend you think about writing a book on Somali cuisine!
Kind regards,
Majid
Thank you very much, Majid. We are glad you liked the website. You are right about Somali food. Our diversity has given us such a rich food heritage that we can be really proud of.
You said you like potatoes with your Kalaamuddo and that is perfectly good. We have a recipe for Kalaamuddo using mashed potatoes in making the dough. It makes the Kalaamuddo lighter (similar to Gnocchi). We hope to post it with a video some time in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to comment and we wish you well!
I love your website and your cooking and everything looks nice. I am very amazed with your work. GOOD LUCK and keep going.
Thank you very much, Nexhmija. We hope that you will try Somali cooking. Thanks again!