What is Bariis Iskukaris?

Fragrant basmati rice cooked with xawaash spice, caramelized onions, and raisins — Somalia’s festive celebration rice.

Where does Bariis Iskukaris come from?

Bariis Iskukaris is a Somali dish from Mogadishu, Somalia.

Can Bariis Iskukaris be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Bariis Iskukaris recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Bariis Iskukaris take to make?

About 70 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking), serving 5.

Recipe

Name: Bariis Iskukaris
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Somali
Ingredients: 2.5 cups basmati rice, rinsed; 1.5 lbs goat, lamb, or chicken, on the bone; 2 tbsp xawaash spice (cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, turmeric); 3 onions, sliced; 4 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp ginger; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1/3 cup raisins; 1 tsp a little sugar; 1/3 cup neutral oil; a handful cilantro; 1 green chili

Africa → 🇸🇴 Somalia → Mogadishu

Bariis Iskukaris

Somali · medium · serves 5

prep 20 min · cook 50 min

~826 cal · 43g protein · 106g carbs · 24g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Fragrant spiced rice with raisins and fried onions

🇸🇴 Mogadishu

Bariis iskukaris is the centerpiece of Somali weddings and Eid, its perfume built on xawaash — the house spice blend every family mixes differently. The sweet flourish of raisins and fried onions on top marks it as special-occasion food.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 5 —

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2.5 cups basmati rice, rinsed

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1.5 lbs goat, lamb, or chicken, on the bone

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2 tbsp xawaash spice (cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, turmeric)

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3 onions, sliced

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4 cloves garlic

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1 tbsp ginger

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2 tomatoes, chopped

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1/3 cup raisins

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1 tsp a little sugar

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1/3 cup neutral oil

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a handful cilantro

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1 green chili

Instructions

Brown the meat (or vegetables) with the onions, garlic, ginger, and xawaash until deeply fragrant.

Add tomatoes and water to cover; simmer 30 minutes (15 for the plant version). Lift out the meat; measure the broth for the rice.

Cook the rice in the spiced broth (topped to 4 cups), covered, 15 minutes; rest 10.

Fry the raisins in a little oil with the sugar until plumped, and fry a handful of onion until crisp.

Fluff the rice, fold the meat back through, and crown with the sweet raisins, crispy onions, cilantro, and chili.

Mogadishu celebration tradition.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Mogadishu. The Indian Ocean capital, where every lunch is spiced rice.

🗺️

Somalia. A long coast of spiced rice and camel-caravan flavor.

🌍

Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →