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October 6, 2015

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

These made my house smell like Pumpkin Pie!

These made my house smell like Pumpkin Pie!

The moment October 1st comes around, my kitchen instantly switches from late summer tomatoes and oven-less cooking to roasting autumn squashes and getting ready for holiday season. For us that means Indian holidays like Diwali and Navratri, but also one of our family favorites: Halloween!

We carve our pumpkins a week before Halloween at our annual pumpkin-carving block party, after which we are left with handfuls of raw white pumpkin seeds. I hate to discard them every year; pumpkin seeds are nutritious! The creamy white seeds are the unhulled pumpkin seed and the olive green kernel inside is the hulled pumpkin seed, also known is pepitas. The pepitas have a buttery delicate taste and are lovely roasted and seasoned simply; they’re a great addition to a green salad. The unhulled white pumpkin seeds are crunchier and coarser but when roasted and seasoned are tasty, on their own or in a trail mix.

The nutritional content of both and the difference between the two is listed below:

  1. more zinc in the unhulled white seeds vs the pepitas
  2. Vitamin E in both
  3. roasting no longer than 20 minutes retains most of the nutritional value in the seeds
  4. rich in manganese, a mineral antioxidant, in addition to phosphorus and magnesium
  5. diversity of other non-traditional antioxidants, like different forms of Vitamin E
  6. healthy unsaturated fats, like MUFAs, though composition changes if roasting seeds too long (see above)
  7. good source of protein (1/4 cup has 10 grams protein!) and some iron too

Looking for a variation yesterday on roasting pumpkin seeds, I got inspired by 101 Cookbooks on using ground tea as a seasoning for them. I played around with the recipe a few times; here’s a log of my experiment:

  • What I ended up doing since I was making them for my li’l kids is leaving out the chai (tea) leaves and just using the chai masala (spice blend).
  • I also experimented with ghee rather than oil as my roasting fat, but I decided that the rich concentration of that butterfat wasn’t worth it in this particular dish.  I think I’d be happy with butter.  If you’re in India and reading this, I’m sure you’ll have ghee more readily accessible than butter, and if you’re here in the U.S. and don’t have ghee lying around, you can use butter or olive oil for increased nutritional benefit.
  • I followed the pre-boiling method for the seeds that is described in Simply Recipes blog post, but only because I had time to let the water boil while I played Legos with the girls. You could skip the boiling and still have crunchy crispy pumpkin seeds if time is a concern. My recipe does not include the pre-boiling. To see that method, click here.

Regarding the chai masala (masala meaning a blend of spices, dry or wet), I use a blend from India and when I run out, I use a store-bought blend as long as it’s fragrant and fresh. If the scent of the masala is not extremely strong (it should make your children sneeze), try grinding your own, like Rabbit Food Rocks does.  When I have a little extra time, I love to use my mortar/pestle duo and crush my own as well.

 

Chai Tea Pumpkin Seeds

Here is that chai masala recipe again: http://rabbitfoodrocks.blogspot.com/2011/08/perfect-cup-of-chaa-masala-tea.html
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup pumpkin seeds rinsed in a strainer several times to remove pumpkin goop
  • 1 tablespoon butter melted OR 2 teaspoons ghee, softened
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon chai masala recipe again, right here
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground Assam or English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea leaves optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • If you have time, you can lay out the seeds on a paper towel to air-dry or towel dry them.
  • Place seeds in a medium-sized bowl.
  • Stir in the butter or ghee, coating the seeds well. I use my hands for this, but then again, I’m Indian 😉
  • Scatter seeds in a thin layer so the seeds are not overlapping on a cookie sheet (does not have to be lined).
  • Sprinkle chai masala over seeds.
  • Sprinkle sugar over seeds.
  • Sprinkle salt over seeds.
  • I know you feel the urge to stir, but no need to just yet.
  • Roast in oven for 10 minutes.
  • Now stir and try to scatter them again in a thin layer.
  • Continue roasting for another 5-10 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
  • Sprinkle a dash more salt and sugar and add more to taste. Sprinkle ground tea if using and gently stir. Serve!

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Yum
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18 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jennika Wasilesky says

    October 9, 2015 at 5:06 pm

    where is chai masala recipe? It says it’s “here”.

    Reply
    • shefskitchen says

      October 11, 2015 at 4:30 am

      oops let me fix that!! thank you for pointing it out. I had double checked it too..not sure what happened!

      Reply
  2. Sheila Singh says

    November 1, 2014 at 10:56 am

    The pumpkin seeds were yummy, especially paired with candy corn!

    Reply
    • shefskitchen says

      November 5, 2014 at 8:07 pm

      Thanks Sheila! I thought that was a great combination too that the next day I just made a trail mix out of both of them!

      Reply
  3. Valentina says

    November 7, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    what a brilliant and unique way to use chai. yummy! (i love that bowl, too)

    Reply
    • shefskitchen says

      November 8, 2011 at 10:31 am

      Thank you Valentina–one of my easier recipes 😉

      Reply
  4. eva626 says

    November 2, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    like your name! and this post too.

    Reply
    • shefskitchen says

      November 8, 2011 at 10:32 am

      Thank you eva626! Hope you will enjoy reading more in the future!

      Reply
  5. Ami patel says

    November 2, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    Great recipe! Delicious pumpkin seeds.

    Reply
    • shefskitchen says

      November 8, 2011 at 10:32 am

      Thanks Ami–hope your family enjoyed them as much as mine did.

      Reply

Trackbacks

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  8. Using Appliances in an Indian-American Kitchen - Shef's Kitchen says:
    October 6, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    […] Mortar/pestle OR spice grinder: a mortar/pestle duo costs about ten bucks. A spice grinder (basically sold as a coffee grinder) is about 20-30 bucks. The spice grinder is useful for larger batches of masala (spice mixes), like about a half cup or so. If you just want to make garam masala for one curry, use the mortar pestle. Or even use the MP for grinding fresh cardamom and cinnamon for a cup of masala chai. If you use a coffee grinder for spices, dedicate it just to the spices. Smell the grinder before using it. If there are remnants of coffee or something unwanted, grind a small piece of bread in the grinder to help eliminate the odor. […]

    Reply

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You've heard that food is medicine, but food is LIFE! I want you to enjoy both. I'm Shef, a culinary educator, and this website showcases the diversity of ingredients worldwide, using them in interesting recipes, and making them approachable without sacrificing flavor.

Food doesn't have to be boring and flavorless to be good for you. Getting familiar with spices not only heals you, but it adds happiness to your plate. I strive for a happy healthy plate with nutrient-dense well-balanced meals and an occasional dose of sweet!more please


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