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When most debut cookery authors are preparing for publication, they’re celebrating, sharing recipes with followers and gearing up to sign hundreds of books in their publisher’s office. The run-up to Ilhan Mohamed Abdi’s first cookbook, however, also involved surgery. Brain surgery, in fact.
“So if I am a bit slow on some of the questions, please bear with me,” she says gently. Major surgery has not blunted her elation at having written a cookbook, though. “I’m very excited, nervous at the same time, but very excited,” she buzzes.
You may have come across the London-based 36-year-old on Instagram, where she has 265k followers. It was there, particularly during lockdown, that The Ramadan Kitchen was first conceived. “I started a Ramadan series online, just live on Instagram, and I’d post to tell everyone, ‘This is what we’re going to cook. These are the ingredients and kitchen utensils you’re going to need. Join me at six o’clock.’ And I’d get hundreds of people come on these lives. It was fantastic,” she remembers.
What particularly resonated was the fact that “I would actually show people I was being serious when I said something takes 15 minutes. Like my Somali rice is 15 minutes, one of my most popular recipes, and once they’d seen me actually cook it in front of them online, they’d realise it really does take 15 minutes, and it really is beginner-friendly,” she says.
For a time, Mohamed Abdi toyed with writing a speedy recipe book rather than one focused on Ramadan, and she is still besieged by fans urging her to write a bread book – Paul Hollywood, look out. Her dinner rolls and kimis (flaky flatbreads) have become household staples.
Formerly ensconced in the corporate world, with stints at Goldman Sachs and then Amazon, Mohamed Abdi’s cooking is deeply personal. “A lot of it comes from my own culture, my own heritage. It’s influenced heavily by that. So the foods I grew up with,” she explains. “It’s Somali flavours. It’s Arab flavours. My heritage is Somalian Egyptian, so a lot of the flavours come from there. But at the same time, my mother was in the kitchen quite a lot, so cooking her meals would take hours, and I don’t think that’s a fit for the modern cook, so I just adapted those recipes.”
She spent hours watching her mum cook as a child. “I absolutely loved it. I didn’t bore of it at all,” she says. Decades later, a similar pattern has emerged in her own kitchen. Mohamed Abdi has dedicated the book to her daughter, Amaana, who has already changed the way she cooks, prompting even better shortcuts and ways to involve a toddler in the process. “I want to preserve memories that I had growing up, the same recipes,” she says. “Ramadan comes every single year. It’ll come every single year until the end of time, and so it’s a book that will grow with her and her children, potentially.”
This year, Ramadan – the month of fasting observed by Muslims across the world – runs from the evening of Tuesday 17 February until Wednesday 18 March. “For me, it’s a month that brings me back to my faith, routine and family,” Mohamed Abdi says. “We spend a lot more time, not just with my own immediate family, but my extended family.” Growing up, she spent time in Somalia, where the presence of Ramadan felt all-encompassing. “When I was in Somalia a lot [when I was younger], I would feel it around me everywhere, but in England or London, you don’t, so Ramadan for me was that one thing that was always constant every single year, no matter where I was. Now, as a mother, I’m trying to create that same sense for my child – comfort and memory.”
Split into two main sections, the book covers suhoor – the pre-fasting meal eaten before dawn – and iftar, the evening meal used to break the fast. Suhoor recipes include a decadent-sounding croissant bread pudding and a date shake, though Mohamed Abdi’s own routine is often simpler. “I’ll often just have a cup of water and a few dates, or I’ll have a really small sandwich or bagel, or even egg bites,” she says.
For iftar, Mohamed Abdi shares dishes such as chicken shawarma, oxtail stew, lamb chops, macaroni and even sheet-pan pizza dotted with pepperoni. “The book is absolutely for everyone,” she says, not just for those who observe Ramadan. For anyone wanting a first taste of the holy month, she recommends starting with her samosas or syrup-soaked fried doughballs. “I have such strong memories of these. They’d be the first thing on the table along with samosas throughout the entire month of Ramadan.”
Ultimately, Mohamed Abdi wants readers to feel confident and comforted by her food. “I want people to feel confident when they try these dishes, and I want [them to experience] a sense of comfort,” she says. “I also want people to walk away with a better understanding of the Somalian Egyptian cuisine I’ve grown up with.” She remembers saying to her editor early on that “there are so many more Muslims in the world than, let’s say, vegetarians and vegans, but there are so many vegetarian and vegan books, which are fantastic,” she says, but “why aren’t there more books like The Ramadan Cookbook? I think it’s really important. I think it’s changing, but very slowly.”
Aromatic Somali rice
“Bariis Somali is the recipe that first got people talking about my cooking. It’s one of those dishes that makes me feel deeply connected to my roots,” explains Mohamed Abdi. “The flavours are layered and, like many Somali dishes, it brings together sweet and savoury in a way that just makes sense. I’ve simplified the method so it comes together in just 15 minutes, but none of the flavour is lost. It’s usually served with meat, like suqaar (lamb or beef cubes with veg) or chicken, and don’t forget the banana, a classic Somali pairing that rounds everything out. You have to try it.”
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
300g basmati rice (I use sella basmati)
125ml sunflower oil
1 onion, half sliced and half finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 chicken stock cube
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 small cinnamon stick
4-5 cardamom pods, crushed open
Handful coriander
3-4 garlic cloves
70g sultanas (golden raisins)
¼ tsp red or orange food colouring
Method:
1. Start by bringing a pot of water to the boil for the rice. While waiting, wash the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Once the water is boiling, add the rice and parboil for eight to 10 minutes, or until the grains are clear and cooked on the edges but still firm in the centre.
2. While the rice is parboiling, heat the sunflower oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry until golden brown and crispy, being careful not to overcook. Remove the onions from the oil and drain on paper towels.
3. In the same pot, add the chopped onion to the remaining oil and cook until softened. Add the tomato, chicken stock cube, cumin, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods (count the pods in order to remove them later). Stir and cook for four to five minutes until the tomatoes break down and the mixture becomes fragrant.
4. Crush the fresh coriander and garlic together using a pestle and mortar, then add this mixture to the pot. Cook for another two minutes, then add 125ml water to the mortar, rinsing it to capture any remaining flavour. Pour this into the pot and stir. Lower the heat, and leave to cook for two to three minutes.
5. Drain the rice and carefully layer it over the sauce in the pot, making sure not to mix the two. The rice should sit on top as a covering layer without fully blending into the sauce. Scatter the fried onions over the rice, then rinse the raisins in hot water to soften and arrange them on top. Dot the food colouring in one corner.
6. Cover the pot with a kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture, place the lid tightly on to trap the steam, and move the pot to the smallest burner. Cook on the lowest heat for eight to 10 minutes.
7. When ready, turn off the heat and remove the lid. A small plume of steam should escape – this indicates the rice is perfectly cooked. Let the rice cool slightly before mixing, allowing the food colouring to set.
Somali dinner rolls
“If there’s one thing I’m always expected to show up with, it’s these dinner rolls. Whether it’s iftar [fast-breaking evening meal], a family gathering or just an excuse to share a meal, this is what I bring,” says Mohamed Abdi. “They’re unbelievably soft and pillowy, and the garlic butter on top takes them somewhere special. They’re also incredibly forgiving. I’ve made them with wholemeal (wholewheat) flour, added cheese, thrown in seeds and even used them as burger or hotdog buns. Whatever I do, they still work. With any luck, these will be the softest, most reliable rolls you’ll ever bake.”
Makes: 12-16
Ingredients:
250ml milk, warmed
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast
1 egg
50g/3½ tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus 3 tbsp melted butter, for brushing
1 tsp salt
400g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting and if needed
For the garlic butter:
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Flaky sea salt, to finish
Equipment:
23 x 30-cm/9 x 12-inch baking tray, lightly oiled
Method:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the warm milk, sugar and yeast until the mixture begins to froth slightly. Leave it to rest for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
2. Add the egg to the mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the softened butter and salt, followed by half of the flour, and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix until a rough dough forms. If the dough feels too wet to knead, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, mixing gently, until the dough comes together. It should be soft and slightly sticky, but manageable. Be careful not to over-add flour, as this can result in a dense dough.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until it becomes smooth and elastic. To test if it’s ready, gently poke the dough; if it slowly bounces back, it’s ready to rise.
4. Lightly oil the dough and place it in a clean mixing bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Once risen, gently press the air out of the dough in the bowl. Fold the dough on itself a few times to create layers, then carefully shape it back into a ball without additional kneading.
5. Divide the dough into 12–16 equal pieces. Slightly flatten each piece, folding and pinching underneath to form a smooth ball, then roll gently in your palm to finish shaping. Arrange the dough balls on the greased baking tray. Cover and leave to rise again for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/400F/gas mark 6.
7. Brush the tops of the rolls with some melted butter and place them in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown, rotating the tray halfway through, if needed, for even colouring.
8. While the rolls bake, combine the melted butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl. When the rolls come out of the oven, brush them generously with the garlic butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve warm.
Somali chai tres leches cake
“This is my take on the classic Latin American dessert, but infused with Somali tea spices like cardamom, cinnamon and clove. That warmth completely transforms the milk mixture, and it’s one of those recipes I shared online that really took off,” says Mohamed Abdi. “So many people tried it and made it their own – which makes it feel all the more special to me. I usually keep it simple and use store-bought madeira cake, but doolsho [cardamom sponge cake] works beautifully too. It’s the kind of dessert you can prep the night before, and just before serving, pour over a little saved milk to freshen it up. Now, it’s become the thing people expect from me. The same way you’d expect tea and biscuits at someone’s house, my guests expect Somali tres leches. And truthfully, I enjoy making it every time.”
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
150ml milk
397g can condensed milk
350ml evaporated milk
2 tsp Somali tea spice
24 Madeira cake slices (510g) or doolsho
500ml double (heavy) or whipping cream
100g icing (confectioners’) sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
100g crushed pistachios
Equipment:
23 x 30-cm/9 x 12-inch baking dish
Method:
1. Heat the milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk together with the Somali tea spice in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle simmer, avoiding a boil to prevent the milk from splitting or burning – you just want small bubbles around the edges. Simmer for five to 10 minutes, then strain out the spices and set the milk mixture aside to cool.
2. Arrange the cake slices in the baking dish, arranging them in two layers if possible. As you lay down each layer, press it down gently to flatten slightly. Use a chopstick to poke holes all over the cake slices, ensuring you reach the bottom of the dish. Reserve 250ml of the milk mixture for serving, then pour the remaining cooled milk mixture over the cake, a little at a time, letting it soak in and settle before adding more.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream, icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
4. Spread the cream mixture evenly over the cake using a palette knife or metal spatula, then top with the crushed pistachios. Refrigerate for at least four hours to allow the cake to set.
5. When serving, pour a bit of the reserved milk mixture at the base of each slice.
‘The Ramadan Kitchen: Nourishing Recipes from Fast to Feast’ by Ilhan Mohamed Abdi (Pavilion Books).
