Tag: East African
Xawaash
Xawaash
Xawaash (pronounced hawaaj) is a complex spice blend used in Somali cuisine; much like berbere is used in Ethiopian cuisine. It is used in dishes such as suugar, a meat and vegetable stew, and suugo, a Somali pasta sauce. I highly recommend that you lightly dry toast the whole spices. It completely changes the flavor, making the xawaash more aromatic.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
Whole Spices
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 3 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp green cardamom pods
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
Ground Spices
- 1 tbsp ground sage
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Dry toast the whole spices in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Grind the whole spice in a spice grinder. Mix together with the other ground spices. Store in a container for up to 3 months.
Chicken Samosas
Chicken Samosas
Samosas are pastries filled with either potatoes, peas, and spices. Instead of the vegetarian variety, the potatoes are replaced with ground chicken in this recipe. Originating from India and East Asia, samosas have made their way into African cuisine from immigration. They are popular all over East, West, and South African countries; each with their own distinct taste. These can be either baked or fried. The samosas can be made in large batches, then frozen down on a baking sheet and stored in gallon sized freezer bags.
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ginger grated
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 12 oz ground chicken
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup peas
- 1 tsp salt
Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
Filling
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes.
- Add in the spices. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the ground chicken. Break up all of the clumps. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Stir in the peas and parsley. Season with salt. Let cool before filling the samosas.
Dough
- Mix all of the dough ingredients together.
- Need the dough on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes.
- Portion out the dough into 16 equal dough balls.
Assembly Method 1
- On a floured surface, roll out one of the dough balls into a rectangular shape; about the size of an envelope.
- Place a heaping tbsp of the chicken filling in the center of one half of the dough rectangle.
- Fold the bottom right corner up and over the filling to make a triangle.
- Fold the triangle over to the left.
- Fold the bottom left corner up over the triangle and gently seal.
Assembly Method 2
- Roll out each dough ball into a circular shape. Place a heaping tbsp of the chicken filling in the center.
- Make a corner out of the dough circle and fold it up. Shape into a triangular shape and crimp the edges.
- You should yield 16 samosas from this recipe.
Baking Method
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the samosas with oil or butter.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once half way through.
Frying Method
- Heat up 1” of cooking oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add in samosas, making sure to not over crowdthe pot.
- Fry for 4-5 minutes a side.
- Drain grease on a paper towel.
Berbere Spice
Berbere Spice
Berbere spice is a building block for all East African cuisine. It has a nice smokey and spicy taste. It is the main spice ingredient in Zigni, Doro Wat, and many other Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Somali dishes. Berbere spice is great on meat, fish, vegetables, and eggs.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cardamom
Instructions
- If you have any whole spices, lightly dry toast them in a pan for a couple of minutes. Then grind them in a coffee grinder used for spices only, or grind them by hand in a mortar and pestle. Mix all the spices together.
