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
Tag: food
Spinach, Carrots, & Potatoes (Mbogga/Isbinaasho) Epinards, Carottes, Pommes de Terre
This is a healthy and great-tasting vegetable dish made of spinach and chunky mashed potatoes and carrots. You can serve it as a side dish or you can eat it with bread, muufo, anjero, rice, or you can even toss it with fresh pasta. It is an easy dish and is nutritious at the… Continue reading Spinach, Carrots, & Potatoes (Mbogga/Isbinaasho) Epinards, Carottes, Pommes de Terre
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
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
Sesame Snaps (Sisin) Croquants au sésame
Sesame snaps make for a great snack and they keep well. In Brava, these treats were always available when we visited relatives. Grandmothers and aunts, in particular, “had” to have them stashed in large tins and they would hand out one or two of these brittles to their nephews and nieces whenever they visited… Continue reading Sesame Snaps (Sisin) Croquants au sésame
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
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, these grits are light and fluffy just like couscous. However,… Continue reading Somali Corn Grits (Soor Furfur ah) (Zijjo zaa Gelle) Semoule de Maïs 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