Somalia – Iskudheh Karis

by Tanomba Thati

Iskudheh Karis is a known dish in Somalia prepared from the mix of rice and meat or chicken. For real this dish is a tasty one, try it and you won’t blame your buds for getting over your meal way to the dish.

Somalia country is found in the western part at the horn of African continent, being bordered with Ethiopia to it’s west, Indian Ocean to it’s east as well as Kenya to the south west of the country.

Iskudheh Karis may be of meat mix as the one on the left picture showing rice with goat meat mix.

Either the meat or chicken being mixed with, the cuisine follow the same series of preparation starting with mixing the spices with meat, adding rice (basmat rice) and cooking all along to end point of the recipe.

Most people like the one with goat meat due to “low cost and serve many” from goat meat compare to chickens.

However the dish can be eaten as it is, it is recommended to have a soup at side for the easy chew and add taste flavors.

Iskudheh Karis can be widely prepared with any meat, but here in Somalia Muslims are forbidden from some animals like pork meat. Welcome to the cuisine preparations.

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs (one chicken)
• 1/2 kg of basmati rice
• 1 onion
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 cloves
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 maggie chicken bouillon cube
• 1 green chili pepper
• salt
• 1 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• pepper

Cooking

• Prepare chicken, if it consist of slaughtering, boil in hot water and remove feathers and all the wastes. Remove meat from bones and cut the meat steaks into pieces.
• Clean and wash rice, prefer to soak it for about 20 minutes.
• While soaking, chop the onions and tomatoes, grin the garlic and ginger. Chop the peppers too.
• Start to fry the chicken in a saucepan with oil, salt and pepper until brown both sides.
• Add up with the garlic and onions, keep fry for 5 minutes, until they become soft.
• Add all other spices, including cloves, cardamon, cinnamon and ginger, mix a little and add up with tomatoes, chilies, coriander and cumin. Keep mixing and stir until tomato mixes well and soft.
• Take rice from soaked water and drain it. Add in the mix and stir until they merge well. Add water for boiling the rice, about 3 cups (water should cover rice but not as much as an inch). Add the Maggie and cover to boil for 20 minutes less. Keep an eye from burn.
• After water dries, the meal should be ready for meal.

Enjoy with family and friends, a table with happiness is made with happiness.