Ambabur is another gem from Africa's well-preserved culinary treasure. A spiced version of the Anjero, these Somali fermented crêpes (or pancakes) are nothing short of sensational. They are incredibly aromatic, light, soft and spongy, perfect with curries or stews.
This was the first time I'd ever used fennel seeds in cooking. I was so excited with how the batter smelled, I just couldn't stop myself sniffing it. The intoxicating aroma of the cooked ambabur is the result of mixing fennel, cumin and nigella seeds with turmeric, garlic and onion, and a two-hour fermentation time.
While cooking, the ambabur rises quite a bit and lots of air bubbles pop up all over the surface. A similar crêpe I've made is the Moroccan Baghrir, also known as crêpe "mille trous" (thousand holes).
I'm always making Indian curries, so I paired the ambabur with a chickpea mushroom curry and the flavours were just perfect together.
The excitement of making ambabur was doubled by the fact that the recipe came from one of my favourite African food blogs, Xawaash. Not only do Abdullahi and Leila share well-preserved cooking traditions, they also offer simplified recipes to fit into our busy, fast-speed lifestyles. Many of their recipes are already vegan, while others require very small modifications. Xawash provides a simple way to enjoy authentic Somali food without the need to travel to Africa.
Ambabur is very easy to make and the fact that it's only cooked on one side saves a lot of time. It is a pleasure to share with you my pictures of the ambabur and I invite you to visit Xawash where the full recipe, step-by-step pictures and a wonderful video await. All the videos feature beautiful Somali music and this one in particular has a very lively song.
Enjoy and spread the magic!:)
If you've tried these crêpes I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
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