The Ferguson Recipes – Recipes, Plain & Simple
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The Ferguson Recipes – Recipes, Plain & Simple
The Ferguson Recipes

Sup Mang Tay Cua (Vietnamese Crab & Asparagus Soup) 🌄 💤 ⏳
Super Caper Chili Pie 🌄 💤 ⏳
Super Moist Banana Bread 🌄 💤 ⏳
Suugo Suqaar 🌄 💤 ⏳
Swedish Apple Cake 🌄 💤 ⏳
Swedish Glogg 💤 ⏳
Swedish Meat Balls 🌄 💤 ⏳
Swedish Meatballs 💤 ⏳
🖨 🖨
Suugo Suqaar
Suugo Suqaar
{Serving suggestion only*}
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Journey through cultural fusion with Suugo Suqaar, Somalia's distinctive pasta sauce influenced by Italian colonization. This aromatic beef sauce features xawaash—a complex spice blend with cumin, coriander, turmeric and other warming spices. Traditionally served over spaghetti with banana alongside, this dish represents the fascinating culinary exchange between cultures. The slow-simmered sauce develops rich depth of flavor while tenderizing the beef for an unforgettable meal that bridges continents.
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Ingredients
XAWAASH SPICE MIX
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • ½ cup whole cumin seeds
  • ½ cup whole coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorn
  • 6 whole cardamom pods
  • 1 teaspoon whole clove
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
    SUUGO SUQAAR
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

    (continued in the next column ↗️)

  • 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 lb ground beef, 80/20
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can tomato, diced
    FOR SERVING
  • 1 lb spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
  • fresh cilantro leaf, minced
  • banana
    • Directions
    1. Make the xawaash spice mix: Place the cinnamon stick in a small zip-top bag. Seal the bag and use a heavy skillet or rolling pin to smash the cinnamon stick into smaller pieces.
    2. Transfer the cinnamon to a medium heavy-bottomed skillet and add the cumin, coriander, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, and turmeric. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the spices are lightly toasted and very aromatic, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
    3. Once cooled, transfer the toasted spices to a clean spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind into a fine powder. Sift the ground spices through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium airtight container. Grind any large pieces left behind in the sieve, then sift into the container. Cover and store in a cool, dark place until ready to use, up to 6 months.
    4. Make the suugo suqaar: Heat the olive oil in a large, high-walled skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic, bell pepper, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the beef, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the Xawaash spice mixture, and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the beef, until the meat is browned, about 15 minutes.
    5. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Fill the tomato can halfway with water and add to the pan. Stir well to combine, being sure to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil, then decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the beef is tender. Season with more salt to taste.
    6. Serve the sauce hot over spaghetti, garnished with cilantro. Serve with fresh banana. Any leftover sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Rewarm in a heavy pot over low heat.
    Servings\Yield
    For Xawaash spice mix: Makes about 1 cup spice blend For Suugo Suqaar: Serves 4-6 people
    Nutrition Facts
    Nutrition Per Serving (based on 4 servings) - Calories: 420; Total Fat: 19g (Saturated Fat: 6g); Cholesterol: 70mg; Sodium: 580mg; Total Carbohydrates: 42g (Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 5g); Protein: 23g
    *Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate only. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients, and is based on available nutrient data. Variations may occur based on ingredient brands and preparation methods.
    💬 Uncle Dave says...
    Suugo suqaar is Somalian pasta sauce with meat, spiced with xawaash---an essential Somali spice mix featuring cumin, coriander, cardamon, turmeric, oregano, basil and cilantro---and served over spaghetti. It is frequently accompanied with injera, an Ethiopian sour flatbread, and a banana to be added to the pasta. Italian influence on Ethiopian cuisine began when Ethiopia ceded what is now Eritrea to Italy in 1896 and continued in 1935 when the country was occupied under Benito Mussolini.
    Learn more about the politics of Suugo Suqaar from The Politics of Cuisine on Instagram.
    🧑‍🍳 The Cook:  Dave Ferguson 🔑 Keywords: PoC
    🗂️ Categories: 🥩 Beef, 🍔 Ground Beef, 🌎 World Food, 🍝 Italian
    📚 Collections: The Politics of Cuisine, The TFR Cookbook
    Suugo Suqaar was added on September 27, 2022 and last updated on March 17, 2025.
    *Serving suggestion only. 😂 If a food photo doesn't look like it was taken by a monkey named Frank, it was most likely AI generated and not the result of Frank's minimal culinary or photographic skills. Unless you failed the "I'm not a robot" test, your recipes will probably not look like the ones in the pictures. See Creamy Turkey Veggie Soup to read more about AI images.
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