African Crossroads

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We tried three of the sukhars, or curry stews--chicken, vegetable, and a tough lamb. Each came smothered in the same tart, piquant curry sauce, finished with a bit of milk. They were not the most interesting curries I've ever eaten, but they were tasty, and the three house-made breads accompanying them were intriguing. My absolute favorite was anjeero, the Somali equivalent of Ethiopian injera, a thin fermented flatbread, soft, stretchy, and slightly spongy, with a bit of sweetness. Muufo is a thick pancake, also sweetish, made from corn flour and wheat but tasting only of wheat, that's dense and dry enough to act as an excellent sop for the stew. As with the sandwiches, the chapati was flaky and fresh.

Spiced rice, heavy with cardamom, is an option with the sukhars, and it's delicious. We also tried mandazi, a sweet fried flatbread, puffed and flaky, that I could easily eat alone or with the spiced rice and a samosa or two.