Suugo Suqaar
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Suugo Suqaar
An echo of Italy’s colonisation, Somalia’s take on spaghetti bolognese includes a spice blend called xawaash, which adds a gentle heat to the meat sauce. For true authenticity, serve with a chopped ripe banana – the sweet fruit balances the meaty ragù
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham.
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham.
Ingredients
For the xawaash spice blend
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
For the suugo suqaar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small green pepper, finely diced
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 1 x 500g pack 20% fat beef mince
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- ½ beef stock cube
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 450g spaghetti
- small handful coriander leaves
Step by step
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Combine all the spices for the xawaash blend, except for the turmeric. Set aside. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. Add the pepper, onion, carrot and garlic with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
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Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the xawaash spice blend. Toast the spices for 30 seconds until fragrant, then stir into the vegetables with the turmeric. Add the beef mince with a large pinch of salt and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the meat until it is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato purée, cooking for a further minute, before adding the chopped tomatoes. Pour 200ml of water into the tin, swirl it around and add to the saucepan. Crumble in the stock cube and stir in the sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest, cover and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Taste and season, adding a pinch more sugar if needed.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente or to your liking. Drain the spaghetti, reserving some of the pasta water. Use a splash of the pasta water in the suugo suqaar if you want it a little saucier. Divide the spaghetti among shallow serving bowls, spoon over the meat sauce and scatter with coriander.
