Thursday, March 26, 2026

Ful Medames – Somalian Fava Beans Stew

 original recipe found here

For the Ful Medames
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 28 oz fava beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 onion (finely diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
  • 5 oz. tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Ful Medames Topping
  • 5 oz tomatoes (finely diced)
  • 1 medium red onion (finely diced)
  • 1/4 cucumber (finely diced)
  • 1 small bunch parsley and coriander (finely chopped)
  • 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra to drizzle over the final dish)
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

  • Take a large frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Once it glistens, add onion. Fry until golden.
  • Add garlic and stir until aromatics released. Add cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and stir into the onion mixture. Add chopped tomatoes to pan and cook until they have broken down and thickened. 
  • Add fava beans to tomato mixture with 1 cup water. Season generously and add lime juice. Using a masher or the back of a fork, press down on the beans and mash until they roughly breakdown. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture thickens (it should look like a coarse dip). Make the toppings while the Ful simmers.
  • Finely dice cherry tomatoes, cucumber and onions. Add fresh finely chopped parsley and coriander. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and leave to one side until ready to use.
  • Spoon the Ful into a serving dish and heap the toppings on top. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve with fluffy, warm flatbread.

Somali Conjeero (Sourdough Pancakes)

original recipe here

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 TBSP fast acting yeast
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups warm water

-Mix dry ingredients. Add in water 1 cup at a time, mixing with a whisk. After the last cup of water is mixed in, use an immersion blender to smooth out the batter.

-Cover the batter and let it rise for 30 minutes. Stir batter to release the bubbles. 

-Heat up a non-stick pan that has a lid. Ladle batter onto heated pan, then use the rounded side of ladle to spread the batter out in a circular motion. The pancakes should be thin.

-Place lid on top until the pancake is crisp and browned on the bottom.

-Put on a plate and enjoy!

Friday, March 6, 2026

Yaki Udon

 original recipe here

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil divided
  • 500g udon noodles, frozen
  • 1/2 lb thinly sliced chicken
  • 1 cup cabbage shredded
  • 1/4 cup carrot julienned
  • 3 mushrooms sliced
  • 2 green onions chopped

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp white grape juice 
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
  • To prepare your udon noodles, soak them in hot water for about a minute, and carefully loosen the noodles. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
  • Heat oil in a wok or a large pan over medium heat and and the shrimp or your choice of protein. Cook for about 2 minutes or until opaque. Remove and set aside.
  • Add oil to the same wok and add cabbage, carrot, and mushrooms. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the cooked chicken, udon noodles, and sauce, and toss them together until the noodles are evenly coated.