Lahooh/Lahoh

MEGA BLOGGING MARATHON – APRIL 2018

#87 BLOGGING MARATHON

THEME: EXPLORE THE FLAVORS – INTERNATIONAL BREAKFAST
DAY 12

“Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a Pauper”

   Today is one of those days when I don’t have much to write about. Finally its begun to rain. Just as well as last night was just too humid. The AC was on at its lowest and I was still feeling hot. Today has been a cool day…remember I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, Mombasa is never too cold that you may need to wear a sweater or a cardigan. Due to the fact that I hardly get a chance to wear them, I probably own 2 that may be ancient.

   Day 12 my breakfast dish is Lahooh (laxoox) from my neighboring country SOMALIA. With the influx of refugees over the years from Somalia we have quite a large Somali community in Mombasa. However, its a pity that cuisine from Somalia is not readily available in restaurants around Mombasa. Finding a breakfast dish beginning with L proved to be quite a task. Except for mention of Laban (yogurt in the Middle East countries) as a part of breakfast, there was no other mention of breakfast dish beginning with L.  How did I get to lahooh? I was searching for breakfast dishes from neighboring countries and stumbled up Lahooh.

   This has been a wonderful find for me. Looks like crepes or dosa. Its a Somali flatbread, spongy and soft which popular as breakfast with eggs, suqaar(cubed meat), just sugar and butter or with olive oil and honey. Lahooh can be made using a quick method, with yeast or even a sourdough starter. Lahooh is also eaten during lunch and dinner time.

   This recipe gave me the opportunity to revive my Princess. Princess??? Yes that’s my sourdough starter. I hate throwing away the discard and use it to add a bit to parathas, chilas, focaccia or anything that needs fermentation etc. Before I went to India in November I just stored the starter in the freezer. When I decided I wanted to use the starter, took it out of the freezer and allowed it to thaw at room temperature. Then I took about half a cup and fed it till it was nice and bubbly. The rest is sitting in the fridge in a dormant state.

   Instead of suqaar, I decided to serve lahooh with some aubergines and eggs. Its become my hubby’s favorite and wants me to make it soon again. We also enjoyed lahooh with some honey and butter next day and they were delicious.

LAHOOH/LAHOH  
Makes 8-10
Recipe Source: My Somali Food

For Lahooh:
½ cup millet flour
½ cup fine cornmeal flour
½ cup plain flour
½ cup wheat flour
1 cup active sourdough starter
½ tsp salt
2½ – 3 cups water
1 tsp soda bicarbonate (baking soda)

some oil

For the aubergine filling:
1 large aubergine, cut into cubes (approx. 2 cups)
1 onion cut into cubes
2 large tomatoes, cut into cubes
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1-1¼ tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp pepper powder
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2-3 tbsp chopped spring onion

4 fried eggs

Preparation of Lahooh:

1. Mix the flours with salt and baking soda.
2. Mix water and sourdough starter.
3. Add it to the flour mixture and mix to a smooth batter.
4. Cover and let the batter ferment for 30 minutes to overnight. I allowed the batter to ferment for 4 hours.
5. Heat a large frying pan or tawa on medium heat.
6. Rub it with very little oil.
7. Take about a ¼ cup batter and spread it on the frying pan in a circular motion. 
8. Drizzle some oil around the lahooh.
9. Lat it cook till the edges come off the pan by itself. Cook only one side.