The holy month of Ramadan is a time for introspection as well as for coming together with others. It also has a focus on food, but participants are required to abstain from eating from dawn until sunset. In the month that Muslims consider to be their holiest, members of families and friends from all over the globe get together to eat hearty meals both before dawn and after sunset.
Cooks in Somali families all over the world follow a common culinary choreography, which involves filling and folding sambuus with henna-stained fingers before frying them to a shade of golden brown that is comparable to the colour of the setting sun. Another popular dish served during the holy month of Ramadan, soor iyo dalac bilaash is a choice for an iftar meal that is both energising and soothing. After abstaining from food for a day, the tomato-topped grits have a remarkable therapeutic effect. Rooti farmaajo, which are cheese-filled buns cooked in the shape of a honeycomb, fall under this category as well. Since they are both sweet and soft, they make an excellent beginning to any day.
Fried delicacies stuffed with spicy ground beef that are related to the Indian samosa and may be served with hot basbaas or wrapped in malawax, which is cardamom crepes, for a sweet and savoury experience. These sweets have their roots in Somalia.
While Somali food does not often have a spicy flavour profile, this hot sauce most certainly does. Because of the spiciness of the chiles and the freshness of the cilantro, it goes well with roasted meat or vegetables.
This sweet bread is given a fluffy texture by the addition of condensed milk, and it is finished off with shredded coconut. A lot of people like eating it during Ramadan, but it’s a dessert that’s worth creating any time of the year.
