Imamat Day Recipes: Naryal Waro Mogo and Chocolate Swirl Naankhatai

Naryal Waro Mogo (Cassava & meat in coconut cream)

This is Salimah’s favourite East African comfort food!

It’s a bold smooth coconut stew with cassava and tender meat that just brings it all together. She eats this as is but you can pair it up with rice, naan or roti.

Ingredients:

Meat:

• 1 lb stewing beef cut into cubes
• 1 heaping tbsp ginger paste
• 1 heaping tbsp garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups water

Mogo:

• 16 oz pkg of cassava – cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1-2 green chilies chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 3 cups water
• 1 box coconut cream (141g)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves (optional) + some for garnish

Method:

• Place all the ingredients for the meat mixture in the instant pot and stir. Press manual function and set timer for 35 minutes. Let natural release. You can also boil meat mixture on stove top on low and covered until meat is very tender.
• In a separate pot, boil cut up cassava in 3 cups of water on medium heat with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp garlic paste until cassava is fork tender but not mushy.Once the meat and cassava are both cooked, add the meat mixture into the cassava mixture, including the beef broth.
• In a medium bowl, break up coconut cream into pieces and add some of the hot broth into the bowl to dissolve the cream. Once dissolved, add to the pot. Stir well.
• Add cumin, turmeric, green chilies, and lemon juice and mix well and taste for salt.
• Add chopped cilantro if using and stir again.
• Let curry simmer until desired consistency.
• Garnish with additional cilantro and enjoy!

Chocolate Swirl Naankhatai (shortbread swirl cookies)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 egg (room temp)
• 8 oz butter (room temp)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup fine shooji (semolina)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tsp cocoa powder

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet or tray with parchment paper.
• Cream sugar and butter in a stand mixer or handheld mixer until fluffy.
• Add the egg and mix. Add flour, baking powder, cardamom powder and vanilla extract and mix again.
• Add semolina and mix well. Gather everything with a spatula.
• Divide the dough in half and add the cocoa powder to one of the halves.
• Make small balls from both the plain and chocolate mixes. Keep them separate.
• Arrange the balls in a pattern (chocolate, plain, chocolate, plain) in a circular pattern in your palm. Like a flower. See a video posted on Instagram @thismomskitchen for clarification.
• Gather the balls together gently and make a dome in your palm.
• With the other hand, gently roll the balls in a swirly pattern (try to keep the bottom hand steady). See video. Do not flatten.
• Place on prepared sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Tip: make sure your hands are cold before swirling.