Mallaay Qumbe (Coconut Fish Curry)

SERVES 4

Despite Somalia’s long coastline, seafood has not traditionally been a big part of the Somali diet outside of coastal towns. In most of the country, red meat has been king, and both seafood and poultry have been seen as lower-class food, or not “real” food, in comparison to red meat. In the 1970s and 1980s, in a time of severe famine, the government tried to combat the negative view of seafood and boost the fishing sector. They relocated nomads to fishing cooperatives and even made certain days of the week officially “meatfree” days, dedicated to seafood consumption. Despite these efforts, the industry did not take off. A decade later, the Somali Civil War saw the full collapse of this sector. More recently, interest in seafood consumption is growing.

Mallaay qumbe can be found up and down the East African coast, including in the coastal towns of southern Somalia. This version is distinctly Somali, due to the addition of xawaash and creamy coconut milk. Serve mallaay qumbe with rice or soor.

INGREDIENTS

Soomaaliya: Food, Memory, and Migration: A Cookbook Ifrah F. Ahmed

• 1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt

• 1 pound (450 g) barramundi or other firm white fish, cut into serving-size pieces

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium red onion, diced

• 2 large Roma tomatoes, finely diced

• 8 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 (13½-ounce / 400 ml) can unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 cup (16 g) cilantro leaves, finely chopped, plus more to serve

• 4 teaspoons Xawaash

• Steamed white rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of the salt over the fish; put it aside.

In a pot just large enough to accommodate the fish in one layer, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onion and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes, until almost translucent. Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 7 minutes, occasionally stirring and smashing the tomatoes down as they cook.

Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, then add the coconut milk, cilantro, xawaash, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt; stir and cover. Cook for 4 minutes to allow the flavors to come together, then add the fish, making sure the coconut milk covers the fish (if necessary, add a splash of water to cover). Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork. Serve the curry with rice, topped with additional chopped cilantro.

XAWAASH (SOMALI SPICE MIX)

MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS (260 G)

It’s no exaggeration to say that xawaash is at the heart of Somali cuisine. It is Somali history on a plate—a culinary reminder of Somalia’s centuries of global trade, particularly along the Indian Ocean. Xawaash is what makes many Somali dishes taste distinctly Somali. While every household’s xawaash recipe is its own, typically seven core spices—cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric—are toasted until their fragrance blooms, then blended into an earthy golden-brown powder. Xawaash stores very well and for a long time in an airtight container, though it’s at its peak shortly after it’s made. If you use it often (and many recipes in this book call for it), you can double or triple the recipe for a big batch.

• 1 cup (100 g) whole cumin seeds

• 1 cup (70 g) whole coriander seeds

• ¼ cup (35 g) black peppercorns

• 1 small-to-medium piece of cinnamon bark

• 2 tablespoons green cardamom pods

• 1½ teaspoons whole cloves

• ¼ cup (30 g) ground turmeric

Toast the cumin, coriander, peppercorns, cinnamon bark, cardamom pods, and cloves in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly so the spices don’t burn. The spices are toasted when they have a slightly darker color and become fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer the toasted spices to a blender or spice grinder and blend until they become a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the ground turmeric until it’s fully incorporated and the spice mix is golden brown. Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Excerpted with permission from Soomaaliya by: Ifrah F. Ahmed published by ‎Hardie Grant North America, March 2026, RRP $40.00. Hardcover.

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