Malawah

Malawah
Alternative namesMalawah
TypeFlatbread/pancake
Place of originSomalia
Region or stateSomalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen
Main ingredientsFlour, eggs, corn flour, milk, butter or ghee, sugar, cardamom
VariationsCambaabur, Laxoox Abu-Beed

Malawah (Somali: Malawax 𐒐𐒖𐒄𐒝𐒄), also known as Malawax (Arabic: ملوح), is a sweet pancake. It has origins from Somalia and is eaten regularly in Somalia, Djibouti, parts of Ethiopia and Kenya.[1] [2] It is also eaten in Yemen where it is possibly related to Malawach, although the latter is a flatbread.[3]

Overview

Malawah is a plate-sized sweet pancake that is eaten for breakfast or as a snack anytime during the day.[4] It is similar to a sweet crepe and is flavored with cardamom.[5]

Preparation

Malawah is prepared from a batter consisting of flour, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon, with a pinch of salt. The ingredients are mixed until smooth to form a pourable batter. The batter is then cooked on a lightly greased frying pan with butter or oil until golden brown on both sides. It is typically served with honey or sugar as a topping, and accompanied by tea.[6][7]

References

  1. ^ Wolgamuth, Erin; Yusuf, Salwa; Hussein, Ali; Pasqualone, Antonella (December 2022). "A survey of laxoox/canjeero, a traditional Somali flatbread: production styles". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 9 (1) 22. doi:10.1186/s42779-022-00138-3. ISSN 2352-6181. PMC 9210053.
  2. ^ "Somali Malawah (Malawax) Malawah الملوًّح الصومالي – Xawaash". 2012-07-07. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  3. ^ Zeeuw, Jonneke de; Mooncake (2023-03-29). All you can eat - de nieuwe eetgids van Nederland (in Dutch). VBK Media. p. 240. ISBN 978-90-439-2926-4.
  4. ^ "Malawah (Somali Sweet Pancakes) | The Somali Kitchen". www.somalikitchen.com.
  5. ^ Ahmed, Ifrah F. (17 January 2024). "Malawax (Cardamom Crepe) Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  6. ^ "Fry up a Batch of Malawah (Somali Sweet Pancake)". The Spruce Eats. Archived from the original on 2025-03-21. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  7. ^ Mohamud, Khadija (2021). Khadijas kök: recept från Östafrika. Bonnier Fakta. p. 18. ISBN 978-91-7887-292-3.