I started cooking some Somali dishes because I was not satisfied with the quality of a Somali take-away I discovered in Amsterdam. Xawaash is the basic Somali spice mixture. Apparently you pronounce this as ha-wash. The below quantities are enough for a couple of recipes:

Quarter cup cumin seeds
Quarter cup coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
A piece of Cinnamon bark
Half a tablespoon cardamom pods
Half a teaspoon cloves (whole)
One tablespoon turmeric powder

Toast all ingredients except the turmeric powder. Grind everything to a powder and mix in the turmeric.

Beer iyo basal

What can you do with xawaash? Make Beer iyo basal for instance, liver and onions. I bought a pretty nice goat’s liver. Camel liver is better but this is not an option for me. The recipe is very easy.

Fry 2 sliced onions, 1 red bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper in some oil. Add a couple of minced garlic cloves, anything between a teaspoon and a table spoon of xawaash and fry until the onion and peppers are almost done.

Slice the liver in thin slices. Add a bunch of minced fresh cilantro leaves and the goat’s liver. Depending how thin you sliced the liver, this dish should be fried on high heat for just one or two minutes. Don’t overcook liver. It will turn tough. Serve immediately with Somali bread.

Summer is over so I do most of my cooking in the dark now. The photos do not look very good.

Digaag Qumbe

Another dish you make with the spice mixture is a yogurt coconut chicken called Digaag Qumbe. I first blended the following ingredients: tomatoes, any type of spicy pepper, bell pepper, tomato paste, yogurt, and xawaash. Set aside.

Then I fried a mix of onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the blended tomato mixture. Boil for 10 minutes. Add potato and carrot and cook until half done. Then add pieces of chicken. I used thighs, but chicken with bone should be even better. Add a cup of coconut milk and simmer until everything is done. Adjust for salt.

I have seen version with added brown sugar and ghee at the end of the cooking proces.

Serve with rice, fresh cilantro and fresh banana.