Lib
Roasted pumpkin and watermelon seeds
Lib: roasted salted pumpkin and watermelon seeds, cracked by the handful across Egypt
Paper bags of lib are what Egyptians crack through during football matches, Ramadan nights in front of the television and long evenings on the balcony, bought by weight from the roasters (mahmasa) on almost every Cairo street. White pumpkin seeds (lib abyad) and black watermelon seeds (lib asmar) are soaked in salty water, then roasted until the shells crack between the teeth and the kernel inside is toasty. Shelling them one by one is half the pleasure. The usual mistake is roasting too hot: the shells scorch before the seeds have dried, so keep the oven moderate. Chef's tip: let them cool completely on the tray; they only turn properly crisp as they cool.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan).
Step 2: Stir 1 ½ tsp salt into 1 cup warm water until dissolved, add 7 oz raw pumpkin or watermelon seeds in their shells and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Drain well and spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking tray.
Step 4: Roast, stirring every 5 minutes, until the shells are dry, lightly golden and crack easily when bitten, and the kernel inside is pale gold.
18 minStep 5: Cool completely on the tray, then store in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lib take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Indian
Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup
Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Japanese