mysomalifood : Somali food and more

Garow: Sorghum/Millet Salad

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:30:33 +0000

Garow is basicaly served with milk and butter and sugar. I am trying to experience with different ways of preparing it rather than eating with milk and sugar. This version is a little more exciting healthy too, if you like you can add more ingredients or leave out things that you dont like.

2 cups sorghum
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 onion, diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Clean the sorghum water untill it is clear. In a large pot combine the sorghum and enough water to come 2 inches over the sorghum.
Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until tender, add more water if it needed. Drain and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the sorghum, tomato, pepper, onion, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, olives, season to taste, with salt and pepper.

Easy Pancake

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:27:40 +0000

This super thin pancake is perfect for morning breakfast or any other time for a quick snack.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoon dry milk
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
oil for frying

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend briefly.
Then cover and let it rest for 20 minutes to one hour.
Over a medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in griddle.
Fry 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time, for 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form .
Flip with a spatula and cook until both sides are golden.
Serve hot with honey and yogurt or maple syrup.

Plain Rice flavored with spices

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:06:13 +0000

Plain rice doesn’t have to be so plain, this Somali rice recipe it is easy to prepare and most all it is a wonderful side dish with full off flavor and color, garnished with crispy fried onions and raisins.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice
3 cups of water
2 tablespoons ghee/oil
1 onion sliced
1 teaspoon salt
4 whole cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
5 black peppercorns
2 teaspoon cumin
1 chicken cube

Directions:

Rinse the rice well in cold water until most of the starch is removed.
Heat the oil in a pan on a medium heat, and sauté the onions until brown.
Add salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and the cumin and cook until the onions are brown. Add the drained rice and stir for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the water and chicken cube and stir in and cover, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat.
Continue to cook gently on a low heat until the rice is tender about 10 to 15 minutes.

for garnish:

2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon food coloring
1/4 cup raisins
1 small onion, sliced

heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and fry until nice and brown. Add the raisins and cook untill they puff up.
Add this mixture over rice, add the food coloring on one side.
Gently fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:16:19 +0000

I love this colorful beet salad it is quite popular, it is prepared with boiled eggs, tomatos and beets toped with mustard vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

Beets, boiled, peeled, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced
1 head iceberg or romaine salad
2 hard boiled eggs
1 tomato sliced

Vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon mustard
2 tablespoon vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash the salad and cut in to pieces.
In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar.
Arrange the salad on a serving plate, top the beets, eggs and onions.
Drizzle over the vinaigrette.

Somali Sambusa

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:12:01 +0000

Somali Sambusa is a stuffed triangular pastries that are very popular appetizers served not only during Ramadan, but any on occasion as an appetizer, they come with all kinds of fillings.

Ingredients:

Sambusa wrappers

1 pounds ground beef/lamb

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons coriander powder

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

green onion, chopped

2 teaspoon cumin powder

2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 green chili

1 clove garlic, minced

oil for frying

for the flour paste

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup water, or as needed

Directions:

Cook the meat in a skillet with a little oil on a medium heat.
Add the onions and green chili, stir until tender
Then add coriander, cumin, cardamom, salt, and pepper, garlic, green onion and the cilantro. Cook briefly for few minutes
Let the filling cool at room temperature.
In a small bowl, mix flour and the water to make a smooth paste.
Pick one the sambusa wrappers with your hands and fold it into a cone shape seal it with flour paste.
Fill the cone with the filling and close the top into a triangle shape and seal it with the flour paste.
Pinch the edges so that it is completely sealed.
Continue filling the rest of the sambusas.
Heat the oil in frying pan, fry the sambusas until golden brown.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Serve while warm.

Sambusa Pastry

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:55:34 +0000

Sambusa pastries, takes long time to to prepare but don’t get discouraged the results are all worth it.

Ingredients:

3 cups plain all-purpose flour
2 table spoon oil
1 cup Luke warm water
salt
more oil for brushing

Directions:

Mix the flour oil and the salt, while using a fork mix in the water slowly, knead the though for 5-10 minutes until smooth and pliable dough.

Form the dough into a ball and coat the outside with oil. Cover and set it aside for about 15 minutes.

Heat a skillet on a medium-low heat.

Knead the dough again and divide it into 8 equal portions
Form each portion into a ball.

Using two balls at a time roll both in 5inch brush one with oil and put the other one on top. Press with your fingers to make sure they line up, roll on a floured surface to flatten with a rolling pin about 9-10 inches in diameter.

Cut into four peaces with a sharp knife, roll each peace again so it keeps its shape.

Place each peace on the warm skillet and leave it each side to dry it out (make sure you don’t leave it too long).

Remove and let it cool slightly then separate the two slowly without tearing the wrappers.

Cover with a towel and continue to repeat the same steps until you have finished all peaces.

Sweet Fried Bread

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:58:48 +0000

This sweet fried bread is a very popular snack in East Africa, They are sold on the streets and most of all you will find it in all most every Somali house hold during the month of Ramadan, they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and they are called many diffrent names.
It is a light snack good with cup of shaah.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1 egg, beaten
Oil for frying

Directions:

In a bowl combine all the ingredient.
Kneed the dough lightly don’t over work it.
Leave it to rest for 30 min.
Roll the though on a lightly floured surface.
Cut in to desired shapes.
Deep fry until golden brown on both sides.
Drain on a paper towel and serve.

Baamiye Suqaar

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:51:51 +0000

Simple yet tasty preparation of beef and bamiya (okra) with other vegetable like potato and squash.

Ingredients:

1 pound lamb/beef, cubed
2 potato, diced
1/2 pound okra, sliced
1 squash, diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 chicken cube
1 onion, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoon oil

Directions:

On a medium heat the meat with the oil on a large skillet or a saucepan until brown.
Add the onion and cook until tender, then add the potato and stir for 5 minutes.
Season with the salt and the spices.
Add the tomato, garlic, cilantro, and the squash.
Mix the chicken cube with a little water and mix until dissolved then add it to the skillet.
Stir in the okra, green onion, finish cooking until all the vegetables are tender
Serve with sabaayad.

Stuffed Sabaayad with Green Onion

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:50:54 +0000

Stuffed sabaayad with green onion and egg mixture.

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour
1-1.5 cups of water
salt to taste
2 table spoon oil

Egg mixture:

2 eggs, beaten
4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Combine flour, salt and oil in deep bowl; add the water gently using your fingers Knead the dough until it turns very smooth for 5 to 10 minutes.
Cover and set aside for half an hour.
Divide the dough into 8 large balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rough circle about 8 inches in diameter.
Brush some of the egg mixture spread evenly fold the edges to meet center fold, in the four ends over each other, to make a square fold.
Roll each piece lightly and place it on a hot griddle over medium heat.
Fry the sabaayad one at a time with little oil, turning them once each side is golden brown.
Finish until you have applied the same method to all the pieces.
Drain the sabaayad on paper towels and serve warm.

Custard with Fruit

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:46:01 +0000

Delicious Custard with a variety of fillings, an all time favorite with young and old.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons custard powder
2-3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
1 15 oz can tropical fruit mix
1 banana, sliced

Directions:

combining custard powder, sugar and two tablespoon milk in a mixing bowl and mix into smooth paste
Bring the milk into nearly a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Pour over the custard mixture, string well.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Let cool.
Pour custard into pots, top with fruit mix and serve.

Beef Stew with Green Peas and Potato Served with Rice

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:13:56 +0000

This beef stew with rice makes a quick and simple lunch or dinner dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb beef cubes

4 cardamom pods

2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ginger

1 cup frozen peas

4 potatoes, cut into cubes

1 large onion, chopped

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 Maggi beef cube

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

4 tablespoon oil

Basmati rice, to serve with

Directions:

In a saucepan cover the beef and the beef cube with water and cook until the beef is tender. if there is still water left keep it for later use.
Add the oil and fry the beef until brown, add the onions cook until soft, add the spices, garlic, ginger, cardamom and potato the potato stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato and the paste cook until tomato is soft add the cilantro.
Add water about 2 cups and cook until the potato is tender. (if you have some of the stock left from the beef you can use it here)
Add the peas and cook about 10 minutes.
Serve with Basmati rice.

Cucumber Yogurt Dip

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:46:07 +0000

Delicious and refreshing cucumber salad, makes a nice accompaniment to any spicy dishes.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh dill (optional)
1 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel, seed, and grate cucumbers.
Mix yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, dill, and garlic in a serving bowl.
season with salt and pepper
Chill before serving.

Pineaple Juice

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:53:29 +0000

Fresh and deliciously sweet pineapple juice for a hot day

Ingredients:

1 pinapple, pealed cut into chunks
1 cup water
ice cubes

simple syrup:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

To make the syrup :
In a small sauce pan add the water and the sugar cook (about 4 minutes) until dissolved.
Let it cool.
In a blender combine the pineapple chunks, water and syrup to taste.
Blend until nice and smooth.
Pour the juice over ice
Stir well before serving.

Beer: Somali Style Cooked Lamb Liver

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:55:51 +0000

This is on of the best Somali food recipe; Somali style cooked lamb liver is better than any other cooked liver that you ever tasted.

Lamb liver, chopped into small pieces
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup green pepper
1 green chili, chopped
Juice of half of lime/lemon
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 tablespoons cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet on a medium heat, add the onions and sauté until tender add the tomato, and cook few more minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the green pepper, green chili, lemon, coriander, and cilantro.
Add the liver and cook until tender.
Serve with lahooh or pita bread and lemon wedges.
It is great with shigni too, if you serve it during lunch or dinner time.

Somali Halwa

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:38:19 +0000

Somali Halwa also known as Halwo or Halwad is a popular sweet amongst Somalis, it is made of sugar, cornstarch, oil and for the spices nutmeg and cardamom are used. There is one with peanut version added at the end. It is usually served with cup of Somali tea.

Ingredients:

8 cups of water
1 lb granulated sugar
1 lb light brown sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup ghee/oil
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon of ground cardamom
Pinch saffron powder

Directions:

Bring the sugar and the water to boil.
Mix cornstarch, saffron and half of cup water, allow it to dissolve.
Add the cornstarch to the mixture.
Cook the mixture over medium heat while stirring.
As the mixture turns thick, start adding oil. This might take about an hour.
Continue adding oil when it sticks to the bottom of the pan.
Keep stirring until the mixture gets separated.
When it starts to form like a big ball and it leaves the sides of the pan add cardamom and nutmeg.
Put the halwad on a baking sheet.
Let it cool.