I’d actually seen some Somali recipes that looked interesting before now, so I had some idea what to expect. Food from Somalia seemed to feature lots of spices, which I love, so I was pretty excited for this week!
Somalia is an East African country, located in the Horn of Africa along major maritime routes. It is thought to be one of the first lands settled by early humans.
Since ancient times, Somalia has had strong trading relationships with its neighbors, and it eventually grew to become an important trading center.
In the early 100s, as the Roman conquests drew near, Arab and Somali merchants made an agreement with the Romans to bar Indian ships from trading. However, the port cities of the Somali peninsula were free from Roman influence, so they continued to trade with India. Cinnamon became very profitable as everyone wanted it. The Romans and Greeks thought it came from the Somali peninsula, but it was in fact being brought in by the Indian merchants.
Islam was introduced to the region early on by Muslims fleeing persecution, and, by the medieval period, had become deeply rooted in Somali society.
European colonists settled the land during the late 19th century, splitting it into British Somaliland in the north and Italian Somaliland in the south. Resistance movements fought the colonial forces for over two decades.
After World War II, the two territories moved towards independence, gaining it in 1960. The regions united to form the Somali Republic.
Since then, the country has suffered from political instability, including the assassination of its president in 1969, followed by a military coup. Somalia has also attempted to unite Somali-inhabited territories in neighboring countries, which has led to regional conflicts.
In recent years, Somalia has been working towards a stable government while attempting to overcome economic hardship and humanitarian crises.
What Do People Eat in Somalia?
Somali cuisine displays a rich range of influences from East Africa, India, Italy, and the Middle East, while still retaining more traditional dishes.
Meat and dairy products have long been staples in the region. Since the majority of the country is Muslim, pork is not eaten, but beef, goat, lamb, camel, and fish are common. Prevalent accompaniments include rice and a variety of flatbreads.
Somali cooking often involves many spices, which have been accessible in the region for hundreds of years due to the high volume of trade. Somalia itself grows a lot of popular spices, such as cumin, coriander, and cardamom, which all feature in xawaash, the traditional Somali spice blend.
Some popular sweet dishes come in the form of cakes or pastry. Common ingredients include nuts, fruit, and spices like cardamom and nutmeg.
What I Made
- Bariis Iskukaris (Rice and Meat)
- Suqaar Digaag (Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry)
- Baasto Iyo Suugo (Pasta with Meat Sauce)
- Maraq Misir (Red Lentil Soup)
- Rooti Farmaajo (Sweet Cheese Bread)
Scroll down to read about other popular Somali dishes I didn’t make!
Bariis Iskukaris (Rice and Meat)
This spiced rice dish is considered by many to be the national dish of Somalia. It usually includes meat such as goat, chicken, or lamb, and I went with lamb.
I began by rinsing basmati rice and letting it soak for a couple of hours.
Next, I made xawaash, which is a popular Somali spice blend. I toasted the whole spices briefly in a skillet: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, and cloves. After I’d let them cool, I ground them up in my spice grinder and mixed in ground turmeric. Even though I halved the recipe, I ended up with a lot of xawaash. But I was using it for a few recipes this week, and I figured it would be easy enough to find a use for whatever was left over.
When my xawaash was ready, I could begin cooking the main dish. I sautéed sliced onion in oil for a few minutes. Then, I added garlic, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and cloves. After another minute or so, I added chunks of boneless lamb leg, as well as some of my xawaash. Once the meat had browned, I stirred in tomato sauce, covered the pot, and let everything cook.
After about 10 minutes, I added water. I covered and cooked for another 15 minutes or so, until the lamb was nearly done, before adding the soaked basmati rice. I covered the pot and continued to cook until the rice was cooked through.
I thought this tasted good, but it isn’t my favorite meat and rice dish I’ve made during this challenge. I think adding some vegetables would have helped, and it does look like it’s common to add vegetables as a topping. This just wasn’t included in the recipe I followed (though the images did include vegetables).
This recipe is from Xawaash, and I also used the xawaash recipe that is linked there.
Suqaar Digaag (Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry)
This dish is made by sautéing chicken and vegetables with fragrant spices. There are also common versions that include camel or beef instead of chicken. It is usually served with flatbread or rice.
I started by sautéing red onion in olive oil. Meanwhile, I tossed diced chicken thighs with a mixture of lemon juice, paprika, black pepper, xawaash, and salt.
I added garlic and jalapeño to the onion, then after a minute or so, I added the seasoned chicken. I stirred in red and yellow bell peppers, cilantro, and more xawaash, then let everything cook for another 10 minutes or so.
This was quick and easy and I really liked it! When I first made it, I ate it with rice. But I ate some of the leftovers on a tortilla and I think I liked that more. This is something I’d make again.
The recipe I used is from New York Times Cooking.
Baasto Iyo Suugo (Pasta with Meat Sauce)
I thought this dish looked both interesting and delicious—kind of like spaghetti bolognese but with a bunch of spices.
First, I blended onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in my food processor. I added the blended vegetables to a skillet with olive oil, and cooked for a couple of minutes. The recipe called for finely diced beef to be added next, but I used ground beef instead. I stirred in salt, xawaash, and tomato paste. Then, after a few minutes, I poured in a can of diced tomatoes, followed by all-purpose seasoning and a little sugar.
I let everything simmer for around 45 minutes at this point. I stirred in cilantro and black pepper, and then my sauce was ready. I cooked some spaghetti and tossed it with the sauce, then garnished with extra cilantro.
This was pretty amazing. Definitely something I’d make again!
This recipe is from Xawaash.
Maraq Misir (Red Lentil Soup)
I love red lentil soup, so I knew I wanted to try this Somali version! As a bonus, this is a healthy dish, which I can’t really say about a lot of dishes I’ve made during this challenge.
I sautéed diced onion in olive oil for a few minutes, then added diced tomatoes. Once the tomatoes had softened and begun to break down, I stirred in red lentils, carrot, cilantro, garlic, xawaash, and salt. I poured in warm water, then let the soup cook until the lentils and vegetables were soft.
There was an optional step here to blend the soup a bit, but I skipped it. I served my soup with a garnish of cilantro. For a more substantial meal, you could serve it over rice, or with flatbread on the side.
I thought this was delicious! Another dish I would make again.
The recipe I used is from New York Times Cooking.
Rooti Farmaajo (Sweet Cheese Bread)
This bread is also known as ‘honeycomb cheese bread’, probably since it does resemble a honeycomb pattern. It’s made of individual rolls stuffed with cheese and baked together, before being topped with a sweet glaze.
To start the dough, I combined yeast and sugar with warm milk and let it sit until the yeast began to foam.
In a large bowl, I added flour, salt, baking powder, cardamom, and sugar. I added the yeast mixture, a beaten egg, and melted butter. I kneaded the dough until it was smooth, then covered the bowl and left it to rest for about an hour.
For the cheese filling, I took Laughing Cow cheese wedges and divided them each into three. At this point, I realized I had not done my maths correctly, so I was going to have more cheese in each ball than called for in the recipe. But then I decided more cheese is better, so I continued! Luckily, I’d bought extra cheese.
I rolled a piece of dough into a ball, then stuffed it with a piece of cheese and placed it in a springform pan, which I’d greased with butter. I continued until the pan was full, then left the dough to rise for another 15 minutes.
I brushed the dough with an egg wash, then baked it for 15 minutes or so, until golden. I brushed the dough with condensed milk and sprinkled it with shredded coconut. I let it cool a little before trying it, which was difficult!
This was really good. I do think I could have cooked it a little longer, since although it was cooked through, it could have done with more color. But that’s the only real criticism I had here, and that’s me and not the recipe (since recipe cooking times should generally just be used as a guide).
This is another recipe from New York Times Cooking.
Other Popular Somali Dishes
- Sabaayad – a flaky flatbread, similar to Indian chapati. Can be served alongside savory main dishes, or as a snack with tea and maybe some sugar or honey.
- Doolsho – cardamom sponge cake. I wanted to make this, but it’s always hard fitting in a cake.
- Oodkac – made from meat (usually beef, camel, or goat) that has been preserved through drying. It’s then cut into tiny cubes and fried.
- Sambuus – Somali samosas, made by enclosing a filling (usually a spiced meat mixture) in pastry and frying.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed all the food from Somalia I tried this week! My favorite main dish was the baasto iyo suugo, but I think my favorite overall was the rooti farmaajo.
Next time, I will be cooking food from South Africa.