This delicious dish might seem complicated at first glance, but it is really very easy when you break it down to its individual components. These are: the pasta, a meat sauce, and a béchamel sauce. The béchamel sauce is extremely easy if you follow the method we show in the video. There is no… Continue reading Baked Macaroni (Makarooni Alfoorno) Gratin de Macaronis
Tag: Somali
Coconut Sweets (Qumbe) Bouchées à la Noix de Coco
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
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
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
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
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
Eid Cookies (Buskud) Biscuits de l’Eid
We call these Eid cookies because my mother (Abdullahi’s) used to bake them every Eid back home in Mogadishu, Somalia. On the night before Eid, we would be sent to the neighbourhood bakery to bring a dozen or so cookie sheets. My mother would mix the cookie dough and we would help pressing the… Continue reading Eid Cookies (Buskud) Biscuits de l’Eid
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