These coconut sweets were popular street food in Somalia. They were made of freshly grated coconut that was readily available. After leaving Somalia, many people had problems finding the ingredients they were familiar with. As a result, many foods could not be made or they did not taste the same when other ingredients were… Continue reading Coconut Sweets (Qumbe) Bouchées à la Noix de Coco
Tag: Cunno
Eritrean Injera & Zigni (Canjeero iyo Signi) Injera d’Erytrée et Zigni زقني وإنجيرا أرترية
English Af-Soomaali Français عربي Eritrean Injera & Zigni www.xawaash.com Many stories can be told through food. Food transcends borders and it can connect us and become a means of creating goodwill between people. From the beginning, our objective was to reach out to our neighbours and to understand them through their culture. This meal was… Continue reading Eritrean Injera & Zigni (Canjeero iyo Signi) Injera d’Erytrée et Zigni زقني وإنجيرا أرترية
Plain Goat Stew (Hilib Ari oo Cad) Ragoût de chèvre simple
There are days when you want to avoid spicy dishes or tomato-based stews, and you want just a simple and flavourful dish. This dish is perfect for those days. In Brava, Somalia, this is what is normally served with grits for the midday meal. It is accompanied by yoghurt or buttermilk, maankale (a type… Continue reading Plain Goat Stew (Hilib Ari oo Cad) Ragoût de chèvre simple
Fried Sweet Dumplings (Skaramati/Burka Macaan) Petits Beignets au Sucre (Pets de Nonne)
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)
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
One-Pot Pasta & Beef Ribs (Makarooni Isku-Karis) Poêlée de pâtes et côtes de boeuf
One of the things we miss about Somalia is the way the whole family used to eat the midday meal together. In Mogadishu, civil servants used to finish work at 2:00 pm, which was also the end of the school day. By 3:00 pm, the hustle and bustle of city life would wind down and… Continue reading One-Pot Pasta & Beef Ribs (Makarooni Isku-Karis) Poêlée de pâtes et côtes de boeuf
Yemeni Hareesa (Hariiso) Hareesa Yemeni الهريسة اليمنية
English Af-Somaali Français عربي Yemeni Hareesa www.xawaash.com Hareesa is one of those dishes that remind us of Eid. No Eid is complete without a piping hot dish of Hareesa served with sugar and browned butter. Hareesa originated in Yemen and it is made of barley and meat (usually lamb) that are cooked until the fibres… Continue reading Yemeni Hareesa (Hariiso) Hareesa Yemeni الهريسة اليمنية
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
Chicken Stew (Maraq Digaag) Poulet Mijoté
This is a simple chicken stew that goes well with the Somali Chapati (Sabaayad), the Potato & Cumin Rice (Pilau), or Maanda (Muufo). It’s a typical Somali stew flavoured with Xawaash (Somali spice mix). Growing up in Somalia, the chicken we had there were all free range. The meat was tougher and required a much… Continue reading Chicken Stew (Maraq Digaag) Poulet Mijoté
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 resist and the potatoes make it very delicious. There are… Continue reading Potato & Cumin Rice (Bariis iyo Bataato) (Pilau) Pilaf de Riz aux Pommes de Terre et au Cumin