Dabo Kolo is a Congolese and Ethiopian snack. They are a small, crunchy, and spicy snack that are common in the Democratic Republic of the Congo!
Have you heard of Dabo Kolo before? Chances are, if you aren’t Congolese and don’t eat a lot of Ethiopian food, you probably haven’t. I hadn’t either before cooking Democratic Republic of the Congo!
But I came across a photo of these little snack bites in a Congolese cookbook and knew I wanted to make them!
The best way that I can describe Dabo Kolo is by saying that they vaguely resemble spicy pretzel bites. The dough is kneaded by hand, cut into pieces, and then dry roasted on the stove. The result is a small, crunchy, and spicy snack that can easily be popped into your mouth.
They’re easy to throw together and are bound to make you feel like you’re experiencing beautiful Congolese (or Ethiopian) culture. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Flour
Salt
Sugar
Berbere or Cayenne Pepper
Vegetable oil
Water
How to Make this Recipe
In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
Pour the vegetable oil into the bowl and use your hands to mix it in. The mixture will still seem dry.
Pour the water into the dough, little by little, kneading in between. The dough should not be sticky or crumbly. Once all the water has been added, use your hands to knead for 5 minutes.
Flour a dry, flat surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Then, cut the dough into strips lengthwise and horizontally. The pieces should be about ½ inch on all sides (except for thickness).
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with no oil or grease. Add the pieces (gently) to the skillet and mix occasionally for about 20 minutes until they’re toasted on all sides.
Enjoy!
Spices in this Recipe
To make this recipe, you’re going to need something spicy… The most common spice in Dabo Kolo is Berbere, which is an Ethiopian spice blend made of coriander, chilies, paprika, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and more.
The signifying quality of this blend is the spiciness…. It’s not for the weak (like myself lol). If you want, you can easily make Berbere at home with some spices and a spice grinder! If you’d like to do so, follow this recipe. You can also buy it online, here.
If you don’t want to buy or make Berbere, you can also use cayenne pepper as a substitute!
Tools You’ll Need to Make Dobo Kolo
- A knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough– if you’re using a knife, use a large butcher’s knife to cut a simple slice across the entire rolled out dough. Do not use a serrated knife, as it will snag the pieces and they won’t have nice edge.
- A cast iron skillet— When heating up the cast iron, it’s important to let it sit on the stove for a few minutes before adding the Dabo Kolo to the pan. Cast irons take a very long time to heat up, and they do so unevenly. Allowing a few minutes for the skillet to heat up ensures an even heat on the entire pan.
Is this an Ethiopian Recipe?
Dabo Kolo is almost always described as an Ethiopian recipe. However, there are some Congolese cookbooks and sites that mention Dabo Kolo as a Congolese snack as well. This isn’t surprising, given the close proximity of DRC to Ethiopia.
The two countries do not share a border, but only South Sudan is separating them. I will be sharing this recipe as both Ethiopian and Congolese, as it fits within both categories easily.
Did you like this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram or Facebook and tag @TheForeignFork or hashtag #TheForeignFork. Please also leave a review on this post letting me know what you thought
Don’t forget to check out my other posts with recipes from the African continent. You might like them too!
- Spicy Peanut Sauce from Benin
- Rice Porridge Recipe from Chad
- Funje from Angola
- Sweet Potato Fritters
- Benne Wafers from Central African Republic
Dabo Kolo
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cayenne or more to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
- Pour the vegetable oil into the bowl and use your hands to mix it in. The mixture will still seem dry.
- Pour the water into the dough, little by little, kneading in between. The dough should not be sticky or crumbly. Once all the water has been added, use your hands to knead for 5 minutes.
- Flour a dry, flat surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Then, cut the dough into strips lengthwise and horizontally. The pieces should be about ½ inch on all sides (except for thickness).
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with no oil or grease. Add the pieces (gently) to the skillet and mix occasionally for about 20 minutes until they’re toasted on all sides.
- Enjoy!
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