Notes about Recipes in this book

• Ma Gehennet’s Eritrean flatbreads (Kicha)

  • EmilyR on October 14, 2020

    These are super quick to make. I don't love frying things, but that's how these cook in a skillet. It was slightly mixed reviews, including some saying they tasted similarly to play-dough. They have a salty wheaty flavor.

  • billie109210 on February 18, 2026

    This was so easy and so good. We made it with the Shiro and it wouldn’t have been the same without it

  • yelizaveta_38dvwk on May 03, 2026

    I was skeptical about this, mostly because it’s so simple, but ended up really enjoying it - what a great flatbread recipe to have in your back pocket! It (unsurprisingly) went beautifully with the same book’s shiro and stewed spinach. Had to cook the flatbreads a fair bit longer than the described 2-3 mins per side before I was confident they were truly done.

• Ma Gehennet’s stewed spinach (Zebhi hamli)

  • Apollonia on March 30, 2021

    We enjoyed this! I didn't bother defrosting my spinach (which was very finely cut already), and it turned out great.

  • lholtzman on November 06, 2025

    I really liked this as an easy and flavorful side dish. It really goes with any type of cuisine. I served alongside salmon.

  • yelizaveta_38dvwk on May 02, 2026

    Loved this. Easy, nutritious, and really flavourful - will keep this in my repertoire of sides for sure. Served with the shiro on the opposite page.

• Ma Gehennet’s ground chickpea stew (Shiro)

  • lholtzman on May 31, 2024

    Stir frequently during the last 5 minutes to prevent sticking and clumping.

  • billie109210 on February 18, 2026

    We really loved this dish. It had a ton of flavor and was great with the Eritrea flat bread. Our young kids even enjoyed it!

  • yelizaveta_38dvwk on May 02, 2026

    This was delightful. Used a mild berbere, and was worried it wouldn’t come together when the flour clumped up, but it did. Served with the stewed spinach on the opposite page. I think next time I would make a slurry with a little water before mixing in the chickpea powder to help prevent clumps.

• Mashed limas with onions, tomatoes, and chiles (Shahan ful)

  • jenburkholder on November 25, 2021

    We made this along with a couple of other recipes from the book (repeats both, the sukuma wiki and the mukimo with onions and (not) greens). We had a one pound bag of frozen baby limas so used part in this dish and then cooked the rest separately to add to the mukimo in lieu of the canned beans. This was good, easy, and a nice spicy contrast to the other dishes. Would repeat.

• Ma Abeba’s stewed injera with meat, tomatoes, and onions (Firfir)

  • Robolovesfood on February 19, 2021

    This is a great use of leftover injera bread. Loved the tang that it gave the dish.

• Berbere spice mix

  • Robolovesfood on February 19, 2021

    This is a very fragrant spice mix that can be used in lots of recipes.

• Stewed chicken legs with berbere and eggs (Doro wat)

  • Ishie1013 on December 06, 2022

    Really nice recipe though the berbere blend I used (Penzey’s) was heavier on the chiles than the given recipe so this was absolutely face meltingly hot. But it was very good. Just taste your blend and adjust to your tastes.

• Chicken stew with yogurt and coconut (Digaag qumbe)

  • bernalgirl on November 12, 2020

    A good gently-spiced stew, I followed the recipe except I substituted cut romano beans for the carrots as that’s what I had on hand. Will make again

  • Kduncan on January 18, 2021

    We really enjoyed this. Pretty easy to make with great flavor. Looking forward to making it again.

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Amy made this for our shared meal. Quite delicious. I enjoyed eating the banana with the stew. Would make this again.

  • celesteprevost on April 09, 2021

    Tasty. Great with pork, as well. I’ve also made this now a few times with a stovetop pressure cooker; 5 mins, high pressure, natural release, no adjustment to liquid needed, and can skip blending the sauce in first step.

  • jenburkholder on November 01, 2021

    We made this with chickpeas to keep it vegetarian. Very tasty, mildly spiced but cozy and nice. Served with the cilantro and green chile sauce, and it needed it, imo. Would have been too bland for me otherwise. Ate with brown rice and stewed greens.

  • meginyeg on June 01, 2022

    We liked this Very tasty. I will probably try to make vegetarian next time with no chicken and maybe chickpeas.

  • Hansyhobs on September 11, 2024

    Easy and tasty

  • shelbstirr on February 05, 2025

    Very good, similar to a curry. I made my own xawaash mix from the recipe on the next page. Would make again, next time I’ll have to get bananas!

  • Thorium0232 on January 04, 2026

    Very tasty. Would probably make the green pepper sauce also in the book to add some optional heat next time.

• Xawaash spice mix

  • EmilyR on October 14, 2020

    This is requisite to make the chicken biryani. I love the scent (heavy on the cumin) and flavor and think it would pair nicely with chicken or potatoes even if you don't go the extra effort to make the biryani. Also, it's a sizable quantity, so you may want to scale it down.

  • bernalgirl on November 12, 2020

    Excellent in the recipes in this book and so much more. Works great in scrambled eggs and roasted vegetables, will try with roasted potatoes and grilled fish or chicken. While this seems like a lot, the Suqaar alone several tablespoons do I think we’ll go through this pretty quickly.

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Amy made a batch of this and shared it with me. it was a necessary ingredient for my samosa filling. When I added it to the pan, I was instantaneously transported to India. Wonderful, fragrant stuff!

  • TrishaCP on November 20, 2021

    This is so fragrant and lovely. I halved the recipe and it still made a ton. Out of carelessness and using too small of a pan, I burned the spices the first time that I made this, and had to pitch the batch. The second time, I toasted each spice individually, and I would recommend that approach.

• Somali cilantro and green chile pepper sauce

  • bernalgirl on November 13, 2020

    I did NOT like this at first, the lime and coconut milk combined seemed almost rancid. But I gave it a shake and put it in the fridge and by dinner time the clouds parted and the angels sang. Since then I’ve been enjoying it on both the suugo Suqaar and the chicken stew, as well as the leftover fried tuna steaks, roasted cauliflower, scrambled eggs, and even an onion and chile uthappam. So good!

  • alycia_1mqv71 on December 20, 2025

    I served this with pan-roasted pork tenderloin and black beans.

• Sourdough pancakes (Canjeero / Lahoh)

  • mcvl on November 29, 2020

    These are the bomb -- we're definitely adding them to our family repertoire. Yeasty, chewy, soul-satisfying. And they confirm my belief that you don't need an old sourdough starter to make a sourdough if you've baked or fermented enough in your kitchen so that you have a rich supply of yeasty guys in the air.

  • mcvl on November 30, 2020

    Additional note: These freeze and re-heat perfectly, first a quick defrost in the microwave, then on to crispy goodness in the toaster oven. I want always to have a dozen canjeeros in the freezer.

• Ma Halima’s beef suqaar

  • dc151 on November 12, 2020

    I really liked the flavor of this one. Straightforward to make. But took longer to cook even with very small pieces. I would suggest holding off adding any vegetables until your meat is nice and tender. I also had to add more water several times during cooking

  • Kduncan on January 18, 2021

    This was fine. We enjoyed it. The biggest problem was due to the cut off beef and the cooking style, the meat was pretty tough, would probably cook the beef longer on lower heat next time.

  • Robolovesfood on February 14, 2021

    I enjoyed this dish and let the meat cook longer than the directions stated. It was tender and very flavorful. You probably could use ground beef.

  • Acarroll on September 24, 2021

    Because of previous notes, I decided to slow-cook this overnight. The beef was so tender and the flavors all worked very well. I served it on top of the rice from the next page in the book.

  • bernalgirl on April 15, 2022

    I made this to the recipe except with ground chuck, and per the recipe I added more vegetables, including kohlrabi and leftover roasted cauliflower. It came together quickly and the flavors are lovely, especially with a squeeze of lime to finish the dish. This is not a centerpiece dish, but as she describes, it’s like a stirfry, a nice addition to a meal of multiple components, it rounded out a meal that included a Kenyan bean dish in a coconut sauce and a brightly-dressed green salad.

  • lkgrover on August 08, 2022

    Good beef stew; I served with the recommended "Basmati rice pilaf with raisins (Bariis)". Used "beef stew meat" cut into bite-size pieces; not sure what specific cut I had. I doubled the cooking time of the beef & onions; also doubled the water added. And substituted carrot leaves (tops) for cilantro.

• Basmati rice pilaf with raisins (Bariis)

  • lkgrover on August 08, 2022

    Flavorful rice pilaf with lots of vegetables & spices. I served with "Ma Halima's beef suqaar" (beef stew), as suggested.

  • lholtzman on November 14, 2023

    Add chickpeas to make a vegetarian meal.

• Ma Sahra's spiced chicken and onion samosas

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Made these as my contribution to our shared Supper club (socially distanced) menu. I loved these. The filling is fragrant and well balanced. The recipe for the dough worked, but more detailed instructions on how to wrap would have been helpful. I found some online. I have some leftover filling in the freezer and plan to make them using store bought wrappers from our local Indian market. Overall, a great recipe. The spice mix is key. Next time buy ground chicken instead of dicing it up myself.

• Pasta sauce with beef (Suugo suqaar)

  • bernalgirl on November 12, 2020

    Delicious and savory sauce, a nice change from the standard Italian meat sauce. This would be great in a baked pasta casserole

  • Frenchfoodie on November 22, 2020

    Seriously good, really deep and complex flavour from the spice mix in what is otherwise a fairly standard bolognese.

  • jenburkholder on May 31, 2021

    Tasty! We subbed a 12 oz package of Impossible ground for the beef and it still made a fairly large portion. Not everyone was taken with it, but personally, I thought it was repeat-worthy.

  • TrishaCP on November 20, 2021

    I’m going to add my rave about this recipe. It was seriously good.

  • Logan92995 on January 06, 2024

    While I did enjoy this, I didn't find that it deviated enough away from bolognese to make me prefer it over the traditional. If I had to describe the sauce in one word, I'd say it was basically earthy bolognese.

• Somali spiced tea with milk (Shaah cadays)

  • EmilyR on October 14, 2020

    This is a solid chai style tea. I'd cut back the sugar a bit... it's definitely sweet, but it's delicious and smells incredible, too.

  • mjes on August 25, 2021

    A solid spiced milk tea so similar to some South Asian recipes I'm not sure I could tell the difference. Still on the sweet side so add sugar by taste not measure.

  • lholtzman on April 05, 2025

    Another delicious spiced tea. This is very similar to masala chai. Pretty sweet so try less sugar at the beginning if you prefer it more bitter.

• Tomato and onion salad (Kachumbari)

  • EmilyR on October 14, 2020

    This is a refreshing and simple salad of sorts, but I couldn't help but think it felt like I was eating salsa ingredients that hadn't yet been pureed.

  • mcvl on November 14, 2020

    OK; good. I like the use of avocado as the oily element in the dressing.

  • Robolovesfood on February 19, 2021

    I loved the tip about soaking the raw onions to remove the bite.

  • Stephenn31 on January 23, 2025

    I've made it with and without the avocado. Without the avocado (adding olive oil for fat instead) it was bland.

• Ma Penny’s sautéed cabbage

  • Apollonia on March 28, 2021

    Extremely simple side, but yummy. I always have a bottle of Lawry's languishing in my pantry for popcorn, and it was surprisingly tasty here.

  • Stephenn31 on April 04, 2026

    A simple side. The char gives it flavour. I didn't have Lawry's Seasoned Salt, but I used something similar and added a bit of paprika.

• Ma Penny’s mashed green split peas, corn, and potatoes (Mukimo)

  • jenburkholder on February 14, 2021

    Good, but not as good as the other mukimo.

  • Tinala523 on October 26, 2022

    Family thought it was very bland and some did not like the pea taste. I added extra salt and butter. Oddly, I thought they wouldn't like the hominy, but nope! Will try the other version.

• Greens with tomatoes (Sukuma wiki)

  • jenburkholder on February 14, 2021

    Very tasty! The sharpness of the lemon was great.

  • dzant on March 13, 2021

    I loved this! Used canned tomatoes b/c all I had and mix of kale and collards.

  • mpo on May 04, 2023

    This was very good, made it with Milk Street Kenyan coconut chicken,

  • lholtzman on August 06, 2024

    This is good. I like the acidity the lemon adds at the end.

  • billie109210 on February 18, 2026

    Something new that we had never had before and were pleasantly surprised

  • cwlittlemisspiemaker on May 20, 2026

    We loved this as a flavorful veggie dish with a side of plain rice. It was easy and quick to make. The brightness of the lemon works well with all the spices.

• Ma Kauthar’s chicken biryani

  • EmilyR on October 14, 2020

    I'd simplify this by not frying up your own red onions and buying those, but frying isn't my forte. There are several other components that need fried. The potatoes are quite filling and I think it generally tastes better the next day.

  • Rachaelsb on February 26, 2022

    OMG!!!! This was delicious. Nothing like I’ve ever eaten before. That being said, 3 hours from start to finish of continuous prepping and cooking. But soooo worth it!

• Watermelon juice with lime, ginger, and mint

  • EmilyR on October 14, 2020

    Refreshing and simple!

  • lholtzman on May 29, 2025

    I would like this better with a very sweet watermelon. There is no sugar, so the watermelon should be sweet. I did really like it with rum. It tasted like a daiquiri.

• Rice pilaf (Zanzibar pilau)

  • bernalgirl on November 02, 2020

    A very gently spiced and tasty pilau — I added toasted vermicelli a la Lebanese rice to entice the rice-averse family members, and would do this again. I also used 1/2 chicken stock instead of all water.

  • KristenS on December 30, 2020

    Really simple and delicious. Everyone loved!

  • sosayi on February 18, 2021

    Easy to make in a rice cooker: just cook the onions and spices in advance and add to pot with rice and coconut milk, adding enough water, as needed. Agree that's it's nicely and gently spiced, but tasty.

  • lkgrover on April 21, 2024

    Delicious rice with spices & coconut milk. I served with a curry main dish, which complemented the flavors well.

• Chicken thighs with garlic, ginger, and coconut oil (Akoho misy sakamalao)

  • bernalgirl on November 02, 2020

    How can something so simple be this good? Go for the full 24-hour marinading time. Also great grilled with a drizzle of coconut oil to finish.

  • KristenS on December 30, 2020

    So simple but so delicious! Even the non-dark-meat likers enjoyed it. Definitely make again.

  • jenburkholder on September 05, 2021

    Very good and oh-so-simple. Did the full marinating time and cooked in a cast iron pan, flipping repeatedly as the garlic/ginger and chicken edges browned up deeply.

  • skvalentine on October 03, 2023

    Delicious. Prepped 24 hours ahead and the chicken had a great garlic/ginger flavor.

  • bv_a4lgu6 on March 12, 2026

    This was so good for just four ingredients.

• Tomato relish (Lasary legioma)

  • bernalgirl on November 02, 2020

    A great addition to my tomato salad collection, and perfect with the Chicken thighs with garlic, ginger, and coconut oil (Akoho misy sakamalao)

• Ma Shara’s spiced fried fish

  • bernalgirl on November 08, 2020

    Addictively delicious and so easy, few simple ingredients slathered on tuna steaks just an hour before frying, this is going into the regular rotation

  • sosayi on February 18, 2021

    Easy and delicious, just as bernalgirl said. Used black cod, and will definitely repeat.

• Spicy vegetable relish (Chakalaka)

  • bernalgirl on November 13, 2020

    I haven’t made grilled cheese sandwiches but I have had this on cheese toast with good w/w sourdough and sharp cheddar for breakfast a few times and it’s a new favorite.

  • lholtzman on January 25, 2025

    Good, but I wanted more salt. It tasted very tomatoey to me. I wonder if this will taste even better after it sits a bit.

• Sweet pea soup with coconut and ginger

  • Frenchfoodie on November 22, 2020

    Made this as I was keen to use up some coconut milk. It was unexpectedly delicious, delicate and a beautiful pale green colour. Very repeatable though when my husband is not around as he wasn’t a fan.

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Lori made this for our shared menu. Delicious. (Spicy).

  • alycia_1mqv71 on December 20, 2025

    This paired well with sautéed shrimp.

• Black-eyed peas and tomatoes in peanut sauce (Kunde)

  • lholtzman on December 04, 2020

    10/30/24 - This was excellent and so easy. Great and filling pantry dish for vegetarians. I added a pinch of Morton’s kosher salt after onions and tomatoes, then 1 tsp after beans. I salted to taste once cooked. This does not need much to round out the meal, but rice or a salad would be good. I served with avocado and cherry tomatoes spritzed with lemon juice.

  • jenburkholder on December 31, 2020

    Very good! Super quick and easy, but still nicely flavorful. We added collards and topped with hot sauce (needed some vinegar). We also used a mix of smashed peanuts and peanut butter. Served over mukimo. Would definitely repeat.

  • Stephenn31 on March 14, 2024

    Really easy. I added frozen chopped kale in near the end, and some hot sauce on my bowl. Warming and comforting, and slightly more than the sum of the parts. One cup of dried black eyed peas cooked up to about the right amount for the recipe.

  • IdleExpatter on May 17, 2026

    One of those recipes that both vastly exceeds the sum of its parts, and that uses a commonplace ingredient (peanuts) in ways that add new dimension beyond how we typically deploy it in American cuisine. Just a great, humble, but utterly delicious little recipe. Comes together in a flash if you use canned chickpeas, and is so hearty and satisfying.

• Ma Wambui’s mukimo with onions and greens

  • jenburkholder on December 31, 2020

    We omitted the greens, but still really liked this served with the next page’s kunde. It was reminiscent of mashed potatoes, but lighter, thanks to the beans, and with the occasional chewy piece of corn for texture. We had home-cooked limas, but it would have also been excellent with canned. Relatively quick and quite tasty.

• Ma Shara’s quick stewed eggplant with coconut

  • dbruijn on January 09, 2021

    This was very plain. Took a lot longer to cook the eggplants.

  • sosayi on February 18, 2021

    I would agree with dbruijn that this took a lot longer to cook the eggplant than stated. But, I actually thought it had a lot of flavour. Nothing intense, but cozy and comforting. Went well with the spiced fried fish and the Zanzibar pilau.

  • Apollonia on March 26, 2021

    This grew us on a bit as we ate it, but it was fairly plain and not particularly flavorful. Maybe with better quality eggplants?

• Ma Jeanne’s traditional Malagasy white beans (Tsaramaso Malagasy)

  • bernalgirl on January 17, 2021

    Nice but very plain even with good heirloom beans. A good side dish for something with more punch, and the leftovers will be a great addition to a soup.

• Ma Jeanne’s carrot salad with vinaigrette

  • bernalgirl on January 17, 2021

    An easy side salad that is more than the sum of its parts, and adds great balance to a meal from the Madagascar section. I served with the white beans and ginger garlic chicken and would make this meal again.

• Iced rooibos tea with orange, cloves, and cinnamon

  • jsguaium on February 04, 2021

    Easy and delicious; with or without orange juice.

  • lholtzman on August 21, 2025

    This was great and refreshing. It took me 3 navel oranges to get 1 cup of juice.

  • Logan92995 on January 06, 2024

    Good. The combination of all the spices coupled with the tea and orange juice really came together for a well-rounded drink.

• Curried pigeon peas (Ambrevades au curry)

  • jenburkholder on February 14, 2021

    Used black-eyed peas. Very nice, mildly spiced. Served w/ collard greens and mukimo.

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Carol made this dish for our shared menu. Interesting, something I never would have made but I enjoyed trying.

• Cashew and potato cake (Bolo Polana)

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Julie made this for our shared meal. W-o-w! Way more than the sum of its parts. The orange in this really distinctive. I gobbled it down. I can't wait to make this for myself. Def. the highlight of the meal.

• Date bread

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Marie made this for our shared meal substituting GF flour. It was not a sweet bread, which I found surprising.

  • mpo on February 22, 2021

    I found this bread to be sweet, delicious but something you would not serve with a savory meal or even have with soup.

  • okmosa on May 02, 2021

    I love dates so much and I was expecting this bread to feel a lot more like banana bread, but why should I? At the listed 40 minutes, I think I overbaked it as it was dry to me. But why should I expect it to be moist as I’ve never had this bread before? I sat down with a couple slices and a cup of tea this afternoon and it was lovely.

• Ma Khanyisa’s wild greens with corn porridge (Imifino)

  • DKennedy on February 22, 2021

    Amy made this as part of our shared menu. I really enjoyed it but Dave did not. I did not add the corn porridge to the dish.

• Ma Shara’s ajemi bread with carrots and green pepper

  • Apollonia on March 26, 2021

    Had a bit of a disaster trying to knead this in the food processor (spoiler alert: don't), which turned it into a soupy mess. Another cup of flour later, it came together. The veggies are nice, but otherwise, a fairly plain, tasty flatbread.

  • mjes on August 25, 2021

    A simple yeasted skillet bread with grated vegetables to set it apart.

• Ma Maria’s leafy greens in coconut sauce (Mbowa)

  • bernalgirl on November 14, 2021

    A great recipe for greeens, the coconut milk adds a wonderful dimension

  • lholtzman on February 27, 2026

    This is my second time making and we loved it. I used beet greens and kale along with the spinach. I also salted along as I went. The salting makes a huge difference in my opinion. Even my 8 year old loved this.

• Ma Kauthar’s semolina cake (Basboosa)

  • bernalgirl on November 10, 2022

    Lovely texture and flavor, an easy cake with ingredients I had on hand. I cut the sugar to 0.75 cup to balance the cardamom syrup and it was perfect, a nice dessert with fruit and even better the next day with coffee. I also made it with 1/4 cup poppyseeds because one of my guests doesn’t like coconut and it was different but equally good.

  • FunkyViriditas on June 09, 2023

    Excellent! The presentation is lovely. The syrup is divine. (I doubled the cardamon in the syrup by mistake but that was fine.) I wonder if caster sugar might be better than granulated sugar, given the recipe instructions for mixing it in. I used olive oil for depth of flavor. I will definitely be making this again.

• Grilled cheese sandwiches (Chakalaka and cheddar braaibroodjies)

  • aistern on September 12, 2024

    Such a tasty combo! I had way too much chakalaka, though. Next time would halve that recipe.

  • nutrica6 on February 07, 2026

    I love these sandwiches. The relish is so good but not very spicy. I had way too much of it as well but put it in a jar in my fridge and now use it on toast, with crackers, and just over rice.

• Malva pudding cake

  • Ishie1013 on January 23, 2024

    This is quite an easy cake to put together, though I might half the cloves in the future as it was a bit overpowering in an otherwise pretty delicate flavor. Very much South African tres leches. The leftovers absolutely disappeared at work. Only substitution was using almond milk in the cake itself instead of regular as I was out of whole cow's milk. I did use the evaporated milk in the sauce as directed.

• Stewed cracked wheat and chicken (Harees with chicken / Bokoboko)

  • KatrinaMillen on May 12, 2025

    This meal is warm, comforting, and pretty straightforward to make, but it's not very tasty. The spices did not come through, and I found it needed lots of salt and pepper. Plain but comforting, it would be ideal the night before a long run or for bad stomachs.

• Piri piri sauce

  • Bessp on June 02, 2024

    Quick sauce to make, nice heat level. Next time I'll probably blend it longer for a smoother texture. I'd like it a bit thicker too, so I might add some bell pepper for bulk.

• Steak and piri piri sandwiches (Prego rolls)

  • Bessp on June 02, 2024

    Made with flank steak, marinaded about 2 hours. These sandwiches were a crowd pleaser. I served with pickles, thinly sliced bell pepper, and cilantro, since just meat and sauce in a sandwich seemed a bit plain. The beef was perfect, although a bit finicky to slice thinly enough for a sandwich. I used the leftover meat and sauce for piri piri steak and eggs for breakfast this morning, which was also great.

• Yeasted rice and coconut pancakes (Mofo gasy)

  • rebeka_eveksv on March 05, 2026

    Really great recipe. They come out quite sweet, so having them with honey might be too sweet for some! Also, a powerful blender is needed. Otherwise, it's difficult to reach a smooth consistency.