Toasted Egusi Seeds

Snacks. For trail mix. Eating out of hand. Mixing in cookie dough. Or pie crust maybe? Bread even?

I’ve always wanted to snack on Egusi seeds, as a lover of pumpkin seeds. Finally, I decided to try it and the end result is yum. Surprisingly.

I think I had my mind on soup and creamy so this was an interesting discovery. I like trying out ingredients in new ways so applying ‘savoury’ ingredients to sweet, particularly.

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These are simply toasted in a frying pan, heated with a bit of oil, olive in my case, stirring constantly so they toast proper without burning.

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I’m going to try a beurre noisette version. Brown butter, that is.

I seasoned mine with salt and red chili powder.

They puff up when you toast them – you’re left with a pocket of air in the middle but they take so long to cool down desperate as I was to eat them. Of course I got tired of waiting, so I kept sneaking bites and tossing them from palm to palm to cool….before I could snack on them.

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What do they taste like? Part sesame seed, part peanut, part cream.

New favourites.

I’m thinking suya-spiced and curried. And more. And Egusi brittle, with peanuts and sesame seeds maybe. We’ll see.

They are worth a try, Honestly. My oldest daughter loved them. I’m going to get the others to try.

What do you think?

4 Comments

  1. Hahaha….you caught the bug quite late but knowing you, it’s going to be a fantastic twist. I grew up eating/snacking on toasted egusi. I am Ijebu and the women in my family always toasted the egusi in a pot/frying pan without oil b4 blending. They claim it helps in releasing the oils when cooking. I still toast my egusi b4 cooking even though I eat most of it.

    I always loved the puff and how they swell up. Infact, u shld try this method when making egusi with vegetables. Toast the egusi before you pop into the dry mill. You will love it.

    I love this new layout!!!

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