The spicy pumpkin seeds are delicious and crunchy and one of the best snacks for these cold fall nights, over warm conversations; ask any Iranian! Yes, roasted seeds and nuts are a favorite among Iranians, and there is an enormous selection of both in Iran. Among some of the most popular ‘ajil’ (mixed nuts and seeds) exports, Iran’s pistachios are one of the best in the world and are famous for their size and taste. There are several substantial nut shops in every city of Iran; one of the most trusted and popular ones is called Tavazo, with headquarters in Tabriz and many branches in different cities throughout. Some of the smaller, more old-fashioned shops roast their own seeds and nuts onsite. If you happen to walk by one of these shops, the aroma of freshly roasted nuts is mouthwatering and there is nothing like it.
This time of year, parents and children in most Western households are busy carving pumpkins for Halloween, and some just use this beautiful orange fruit/vegetable as fall decorations. Instead of throwing away those millions of seeds, you could transform them into a delicious and healthy snack. I agree, cleaning the seeds is not too much fun; the messy pulp, the sticky fiber and all, but it’s so worth it! So, if you can get your kids to join in the fun and clean them, the best way is to remove the larger fibers and add the seeds to a colander. Place the colander in the sink and clean the seeds by rubbing them together between the palms of your hands under running cool water. Once the seeds are clean, let all the excess water to drain. There is no need to dry them for this recipe.
These days around here, we use pumpkins mostly as fall decorations; no carving, no seeds! We improvise and buy raw, unroasted pumpkin seeds, all year round, from Persian, or Middle Eastern markets in our area. If you have ever bought salted/roasted pumpkin seeds, you must have noticed how ridiculously salty they can be! Some brands have a thick layer of salt on the shell, so salt is almost all you can taste. If you love to snack on pumpkin seeds, you’re going to love this recipe!
So, no matter how you acquire your pumpkin seeds, you will love this homemade spicy and crunchy vegan snack. It’s amazing what a generous amount of lemon juice and a few spices can do. There is no fat used in roasting these seeds. Low heat is recommended to roast perfect spicy pumpkin seeds, so that the shells do not brown, but rather gently roast inside out. There is no preparation needed, as I’ve used the store-bought lemon juice here. I’m a devoted fan of fresh lemon juice in the rest of my cooking. I have experimented making these spicy pumpkin seeds with fresh lemon juice before, but since the bottled kind has a more intense flavor, it works best to achieve a spicy sour lemon flavor.
As I mentioned, there is no fat added when roasting these spicy pumpkin seeds. The seeds are stirred and heated over medium heat with lemon juice, spices and salt for a few minutes at the beginning until the lemon juice is cooked off and gets absorbed into the seeds. Then the heat is reduced to medium low for a few more minutes with frequent stirring until the shells dry out. The cores are still very soft at this point and they need about 2 hours of roasting on low heat; longer for fresh pumpkin seeds. During this time the heat setting is just above low and an occasional stir is all it needs. At this point you don’t have to watch the seeds constantly, once you know that the heat setting on your burner is not browning the seeds, you could leave them on the stove and every half hour or so give them a stir. When you can easily crack the shell and the inside is nice and crunchy, it is ready. Enjoy some warm, YUM!!
SPICY PUMPKIN SEEDS
Yields: About 10 cups of roasted pumpkin seeds
Author: Homa
Recipe type: Snack
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients
- 10 cups (2 pounds) raw pumpkin seeds, store-bought or fresh {please see notes for cleaning}
- 1 ½ cups lemon juice, store-bought (I’ve used ReaLemon)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp ground cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add the pumpkin seeds to a large 12-inch skillet.
- Pour the lemon juice in the skillet and stir over medium heat, just to coat all the seeds.
- Immediately add the spices and salt, and continue stirring until a uniform yellow color is reached.
- Stir frequently and continue heating over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until all the lemon juice is cooked off, but the seeds still look wet.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and stir occasionally for 15 minutes, or until the seeds look dry. At this point the shells are soft.
- Reduce the heat just above low and heat until the seeds are roasted dry and are easy to crack without any soft core. If the shells are browning, reduce the heat even more. This could take up to 2-3 hours on this low heat, but you will be very pleased with the result. I don’t recommend increasing the heat, because that tends to roast the seeds unevenly, and you will end up with seeds that are browned on the outside but still soft inside.
- Cool the seeds completely in the skillet, then store them in an airtight container, in your pantry for 2-3 weeks.
Notes
To clean the pumpkin seeds: After scooping out the seeds from your pumpkin, remove as much of the larger pieces of pulp and fiber as possible. Add the seeds to a colander. Place the colander in the kitchen sink and clean the seeds by rubbing them together between the palms of your hands under running cool water. Once the seeds are clean, shake the colander several times and let all the excess water drain completely. There is no need to dry them for this recipe.
To reduce the recipe: If you want to roast half the amount indicated in the recipe, use a smaller skillet.
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#SPICY #PUMPKIN #SEEDS
