SOOR IYO DALAC BILAASH (GRITS AND TOMATO STEW)
Thick and comforting like Kenyan ugali or Italian polenta, soor is Somalia’s version of grits. A common staple, it is foundational to many Somali culinary traditions, whether it is served with maraq ari (goat soup) for a simple lunch or dinner, or eaten with buttermilk and sugar for a quick meal during Ramadan. Here, soor is topped with dalac bilaash, a robust tomato stew that can be made easily with just a few simple ingredients. The name of the dish implies that it can be created out of nothing, but, despite its humble ingredient list, its flavors run deep.
Makes: 3 to 4 servings Total time: 45 minutes For the soor:
1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup fine white cornmeal
For the dalac bilaash:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
5 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 small jalapeno (optional), destemmed and halved
4 to 5 cloves of garlic, peeled 1 handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 ½ teaspoons Vegeta seasoning
½ small green bell pepper, halved and sliced
1. Make the soor: Into a medium saucepan with a lid, pour 3 cups of cold water and add the salt.
Turn your heat to medium-high and whisk in your cornmeal slowly to reduce lumps. Cook, whisking constantly, until the soor thickens, about 8 minutes. Cover the saucepan, reduce heat to mediumlow and cook for 25 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. If the soor is sticking to the bottom, stir in ¼ cup of water. Set aside, covered.
2. Prepare the dalac bilaash: While the soor cooks, over mediumhigh heat, warm up oil in a medium pot or skillet. Once the oil is hot, stir in your onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and jalapeno (if using), then cover, occasionally mashing the tomatoes as they cook down, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, smash the garlic in a
mortar and pestle. Add the cilantro to the smashed garlic and pound until it reduces to a chunky paste.
4. Once the tomatoes have broken down completely, add the cilantro paste, Vegeta seasoning and green bell pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and cook over medium until peppers are soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes.
5. Divide the soor among plates and top with dalac bilaash.