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Dabo kolo
Crunchy little bites of spiced dough, Ethiopia's favourite snack
Dabo kolo are small crunchy nuggets of spiced dough, sold in paper cones in markets from Addis Ababa to Gondar and offered to guests with coffee. Families make big batches before holidays such as Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year in September) and for long journeys, since they keep for weeks. The dough is seasoned with berbere and a little sugar, rolled into thin ropes, cut into tiny pieces and toasted until crisp. Children love them, and they can be made mild by reducing the berbere. Chef's tip: cut the pieces as small and even as you can, about the size of a chickpea, so they crunch all the way through.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp berbere and ½ tsp instant yeast. Add 4 tbsp vegetable oil and enough ¾ cup warm water to make a firm dough, like pasta dough.
3 minStep 2: Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, cover and rest for 15 minutes.
20 minStep 3: Pinch off pieces and roll them into thin ropes about 1 cm thick on the worktop. Cut into 1 cm pieces with scissors or a knife.
Step 4: Heat a large dry frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pieces in a single layer and cook for 12–15 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring every minute, until golden-brown all over and they sound hollow when they rattle in the pan. Cooking too fast is the common mistake: they brown outside but stay chewy inside.
14 minStep 5: Spread on a tray to cool; they crisp further as they cool. Store in an airtight jar for up to a month.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dabo kolo take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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