Malawax

Malawax is a thin, soft, pan-fried pancake from Somalia, usually eaten for breakfast with tea.

It is a simple dish: flour, water, yeast and a little sugar make a loose dough that is thinned in the pan and cooked until golden flecks show on both sides. Its mild taste makes it a plain partner for the sweet tea served with it, and it is most often made fresh in the morning.

What it really is

The dough is flour, water, yeast, sugar and a measure of vegetable oil, mixed into a soft dough and left to rise briefly. A cook spreads it thinly into a hot pan, greased with oil, and cooks it until the surface sets and small brown spots appear underneath. It is turned once and comes out pale, soft and flexible, with very little crust. Some households use ghee or butter in place of oil, which changes both the flavour and the dairy content, so the recipe varies from kitchen to kitchen.

How it's served

• Hot from the pan, folded or rolled while still soft.
• With sweet tea, the usual morning drink, which is often milky and spiced in Somali homes.
• Plain, or with sugar or honey spooned over for sweetness.

How to write it on the menu

• Name it as Malawax (Somali pancake) and state that it is made with wheat flour.
• Flag wheat. If it is cooked in butter or ghee, flag milk too, and say which fat your kitchen uses.
• List the standard form first: plain, or with sugar or honey. Price any filling or extra topping as a separate item.
• Say whether tea is included, since guests often order the pancake and tea together.
• If it is cooked to order, say so, so guests know it will arrive fresh from the pan.