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
Tag: Cunto
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
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 Saturdays. We need to recharge and relax… Brunch. We coined… Continue reading Eggs & Veggies (Ukun iyo Qudaar) Oeufs et Légumes
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 few things the hard way. One of the problems he… Continue reading Roasted Lamb (Hilib Ari la-foorneeyey) Agneau Rôti au Four
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
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 without calling ahead. Please don’t misunderstand us, ’cause we’re not… Continue reading Chicken Steak (Bisteeki Digaag) Steak de Poulet
Thin-sliced Beef Steak (Bisteeki Hilib) Steak de Boeuf tranché très fin
The Japanese sukiyaki beef has a lot of history, but this sukiyaki-cut beef steak has a simple story. When you can’t afford expensive cuts of beef and you can’t be without steak, what is the solution? Well, you take a cheap cut of ungraded beef and you slice it very thin. Give the steaks a… Continue reading Thin-sliced Beef Steak (Bisteeki Hilib) Steak de Boeuf tranché très fin
Somali Pasta Sauce (Suugo Suqaar) Sauce Somali pour les pâtes
The traditional Somali Pasta Sauce is prepared with beef cut into very small cubes instead of ground beef. There were two main reasons for this. First and foremost, it was because of home economics. When the family members are served pasta with a meat sauce that they chew, they won’t need another meat dish to… Continue reading Somali Pasta Sauce (Suugo Suqaar) Sauce Somali pour les pâtes