Dabo kolo

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tbspberbere
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 2 tbspoil or niter kibbeh
• 180 mlwater

Directions

1. Mix the flour, berbere, salt and sugar together, then rub in the oil or niter kibbeh.
2. Add the water gradually and knead for 8 minutes into a very firm, smooth dough.
3. Firm is the point. Dabo kolo is meant to be hard and crunchy, and a soft dough puffs up into something bready instead.
4. Rest the dough, covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Take pieces of dough and roll them into ropes about 1 cm thick.
6. Cut the ropes into pieces about 1 cm long, so you end up with small irregular nuggets.
7. Cook them dry in a heavy pan over a medium heat, shaking and stirring almost constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Dry-roasting in a pan is the traditional method rather than deep-frying, and it is exactly why they keep for weeks. Fried in oil they turn rancid within days.
9. They are ready when they are hard right through, browned in patches and rattling in the pan.
10. Test one by letting it cool for a moment and biting it. Any give at all means they need longer.
11. Cool completely and store airtight, where they keep for weeks, which is why they were made as travel food in the first place.

Technique

• Keep stirring. Left to sit they scorch on one face and stay pale on the others.
• Berbere varies enormously in heat. Taste yours and adjust the tablespoon accordingly.
• They are eaten by the handful with coffee, and they are also given to children as a snack.

Substitutions

• Barley flour for part of the wheat flour, which is the older version.
• Plain, with no berbere, for a mild version.

Variations

• Fried in oil, which is quicker, crisper and does not keep.
• With more niter kibbeh for a richer nugget.
• Made sweet, with honey and no chilli.

History

Small, crunchy fried or baked wheat flour snacks, seasoned simply with a touch of sugar, salt or berbere depending on preference, developed in Ethiopian home cooking as a long-keeping, portable snack food, well suited to storage and travel given its dry, crisp texture that keeps for extended periods without spoiling compared to fresher baked goods. Its small, bite-sized pieces, shaped by hand or cut into small rounds or diamonds before frying or baking, made dabo kolo a practical snack to prepare in large batches for extended enjoyment or gifting rather than a dish meant to be eaten fresh in one sitting. It remains a common Ethiopian snack food, often served alongside coffee during the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a significant social and cultural ritual in its own right.

Frequently asked questions

What is Dabo kolo?

Dabo kolo is a snack from Ethiopia: crunchy bite-size fried dough nuggets, often berbere-spiced. Small, crunchy fried or baked wheat flour snacks, seasoned simply with a touch of sugar, salt or berbere depending on preference, developed in Ethiopian home cooking as a long-keeping, portable snack food, well suited to storage and travel given its dry, crisp texture that keeps for extended periods without spoiling compared to fresher baked goods. Its small, bite-sized pieces, shaped by hand or cut into small rounds or diamonds before frying or baking, made dabo kolo a practical snack to prepare in large batches for extended enjoyment or gifting rather than a dish meant to be eaten fresh in one sitting. It remains a common Ethiopian snack food, often served alongside coffee during the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, a significant social and cultural ritual in its own right.

How long does Dabo kolo take to make?

Dabo kolo takes 20 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 1 large jar. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Dabo kolo?

Yes, within limits. Barley flour for part of the wheat flour, which is the older version. Plain, with no berbere, for a mild version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Dabo kolo?

Firm is the point. Dabo kolo is meant to be hard and crunchy, and a soft dough puffs up into something bready instead.