🇹 Ethiopian · Street Food & Snacks
🎃 Ethiopian Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
ዱባ ቆሎ — Duba Qolo
Ethiopian Spiced Pumpkin Seeds — raw pumpkin seeds dry-roasted with salt and a pinch of berbere. The harvest season snack made from the seeds left from pumpkin stew preparation — zero waste, high nutrition.
Ethiopian spiced pumpkin seeds are the harvest season snack — when pumpkins are cooked for Duba Wat, the seeds are cleaned, dried, and roasted rather than discarded. The berbere touch makes them distinctly Ethiopian.
Ingredients
Equipment: Dry pan
- 1.5 cups raw pumpkin seeds — cleaned and dried
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp berbere
Method
- Ensure seeds are completely dry.
- Heat dry pan over medium heat.
- Add seeds. Roast stirring constantly 12—15 minutes until golden and popping.
- Season with salt and berbere while hot.
- Cool completely.
Chef Tips
- The seeds will start to pop — this is normal and signals they are done.
- Season while hot — sticks better.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Wet seeds — steam instead of roast.
The Science
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) contain exceptionally high zinc — one of the few plant sources of zinc in highly bioavailable form. Roasting increases the Maillard browning on the seed surface without significantly reducing the zinc content.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Very high in zinc.
- High in magnesium.
- Healthy fats.
Cultural Note
Ethiopian pumpkin seed snack is the harvest season gift — made from the pumpkin seeds that would otherwise be discarded, demonstrating the Ethiopian cooking philosophy that nothing from a prepared ingredient should be wasted.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Airtight container — 2 weeks.
Reheating: Not needed.
Serve with: As a harvest snack, Mixed into Qolo (ETH018)