Somali Malawah Recipe - Easy Authentic Recipe
Malawah (also spelled Malawax) are thin, soft Somali crepes with golden edges and a hint of cardamom and cinnamon. They come together in under 30 minutes and taste just as good sweet with honey and Somali tea as they do savory alongside Suqaar (Somali stir fry).
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet
- Blender or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2/3 - 1 cup of water (1 cup if you like to do the pan rotation, 2/3 if you do the traditional swirl method)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoon oil For the cooking process
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or large mixing bowl.
- Blend or whisk until completely smooth with no lumps. The batter should be the consistency of heavy cream. Adjust with a splash of water if too thick, or a little flour if too thin.
- Cover the batter and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature. This will let the gluten relax and make for a softer Malawah.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Lightly grease the pan with a few drops of oil. Do not over-grease the pan, or you will have a hard time spreading the batter.
- Pour about 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan. Immediately spread it into a thin circle using the pan-tilt method (swirl the pan) or the ladle spiral method (use the back of a ladle to spread outward in a spiral from the center). See the video above.
- Cook until the edges lift and small bubbles appear on the surface, about 30 to 60 seconds. The bottom should be golden.
- Drizzle or brush a very small amount of oil (about 1/4 teaspoon) on the top of the Malawah before flipping it then cook another 15 to 20 seconds, You want the oiled side to be lightly golden
- Transfer to a plate, and repeat the process making sure to wipe the pan with a lightly oiled paper towel between each Malawah.