Tag: Somali
Mushaali
Mushaali
Mushaali is an oats, honey, and chia seeds porridge. Oats happen to be high in fiber, help lower blood pressure, and manages weight loss. Chia seeds add a boost of omega-3’s. Honey is used as a sweetener instead of processed sugar.
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tbsp nuts pistachio, almonds, walnuts, etc.
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Add the rolled oats, milk, chia seeds, and nuts of your choice to a small pot. Simmer over medium low heat for 5 minutes until the mushaali starts to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Spinach and Chickpeas with Chicken
Spinach and Chickpeas with Chicken
Spinach and chickpeas is a healthy dish that takes minimal effort to prepare. This meal can feed a family of 4 for under $10; even less if eaten vegetarian.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless breast or thigh cubed
- 2 tbsp xawaash
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 jalapeño chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 4 cups spinach washed
- salt to taste
Garnish
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the chicken. Season with xawaash. Cook for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Season with the curry powder. Cook for a minute.
- Toss in the spinach. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add in the chickpeas. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken back in. Cook for 3 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Garnish with cilantro.
Somali Style Roast Chicken (Digaag La Foorneeyay)
Somali Style Roast Chicken (Digaag La Foorneeyay)
This is some of the best roasted chicken I’ve made. Xawaash is the main flavor component of the marinade. Rub the marinade underneath the skin of the chicken and all over the outside. The chicken specifically needs to be roasted on a rack to get the skin crispy all over. Roast for 60 minutes. Underneath that rack, place potatoes or your favorite vegetable and roast with the chicken juices dripping on top of them for another 30 minutes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 lb roasting chicken
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp xawaash plus more
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 medium potatoes cut into wedges
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients together.
- Spoon a couple of large tbsp underneath the skin of the chicken. Rub it all over the meat. Rub the remaining marinade over the entire skin of the chicken. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack on a pan lined in foil. Roast for 60 minutes.
- At the 1 hour mark, take the rack with the chicken off of the pan. Add the potato wedges, coating with the pan drippings. Season with salt and sprinkle 2 tsp of the xawaash over the potatoes. Place the chicken and rack back on top of the potatoes and roast for another 30 minutes.
- Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before serving to redistribute the juices.
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.
