Dukkah (also spelled duqqa or dukka) is an Egyptian seed, nut and spice mix which has many many applications in the kitchen. Traditionally it’s made using sesame seeds, cumin & coriander seeds, hazelnuts and salt & pepper, but these days you’ll see all sorts of flavourways. It’s a great staple to have in the house, and also makes a brilliant Christmas gift (which, if you’re interested in making your own of, we’ve got a helpful list here for you).
We’re going to give you our basic recipe, and then a few different recipe suggestions, but the best advice we can give on this one is – just give it a try with what you have, and tweak it as you go to come up with blends you love.
INGREDIENTS (BASIC RECIPE):
- 100g Nuts
- 50g Sesame seeds (white for preference)
- ~10-15g Spices (whole is best)
- Salt & Pepper
METHOD:
- If your nuts have skins on them (almonds or hazelnuts), remove these either by blanching or roasting and rubbing between teatowels.
- Roast nuts in the oven until starting to brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Toast sesame seeds in a frypan until beginning to go golden. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
- Toast spices in a frypan until they become aromatic (around 1-2 minutes). Allow to cool.
- Grind spices to a coarse finish, using either a coffee grinder or mortar & pestle. Place in mixing bowl.
- Chop nuts to a coarse finish using either a food processor or a sharp knife. Add to mixing bowl.
- Combine ingredients and then season with salt & pepper to suit your taste. It should be slightly saltier than you think.
And that’s it! Keep dukkah in an airtight jar in the pantry for a couple of weeks, or the fridge if you want it to last longer (the oils in nuts can go rancid/off if left out for too long).
DIFFERENT FLAVOURS
You can really play around with the flavours now that you’ve got the basic recipe up your sleeve. You may find that you need to add more spices if they have a delicate flavour, and much less if they’re really powerful flavours. Below are our three favourite flavourways, but you could also experiment with native bushfoods like acacia seed, or try adding dried fermented onion grass. You can even try making a sweet dukkah to serve with cakes or yoghurt – just leave our the salt and pepper, and use things like dried mint, cinnamon or cardamon.
Lemon Myrtle & Wild Fennel Blend
- 50g Macadamias
- 25g Pistachios
- 25g Almonds
- 50g Sesame seeds (white for preference)
- 1tbsp dried lemon myrtle leaves
- 4g wild fennel seeds
- 3g coriander seeds
- 1 pinch each salt & white pepper
Chilli & Garlic Blend
- 50g Almonds
- 50g Cashews
- 50g Sesame seeds (white for preference)
- 2g chilli flakes
- 2g coriander seeds
- 2g cumin seeds
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch each salt & pepper
Original Egyptian Blend
- 100g Macadamias
- 50g Sesame seeds (white for preference)
- 5g cumin seeds
- 5g coriander seeds
- 1 pinch each salt & pepper
HOW TO USE DUKKAH
There’s no hard and fast rule about where you can an can’t use dukkah. It’s wonderful sprinkled over things, but equally useful when mixed through things. Here are some of the ways we like to use dukkah:
- Served in a bowl next to cut or torn bread and a bowl of olive oil. Dip bread in oil, then in dukkah for a crunchy, flavourful snack. Great on a grazing board (providing there are no nut allergies in the room)
- Sprinkled over fresh labneh and served as a dip.
- Covering balls of labneh stored in oil.
- Sprinkled over fried or scrambled eggs.
- Liberally scattered over smashed avocado on toast.
- Added to breadcrumbs and used to coat schnitzels (chicken, eggplant, cauliflower – any type you like)
- Mixed in with veggies before roasting.
- Used as a crust on grilled fish or pumpkin.
- and many many more things besides 🙂
NOTES
* Watch the nuts closely while roasting – they can go from “underdone” to “burnt” very quickly. The occasional stir is a good thing.
* It’s important to let nuts cool before chopping them, or the heat brings out the oils, and you run the risk of getting nut butter rather than chopped nuts.
* Make in large batches and freeze in jars until needed.
Xo
NannaAnna
Permaculture Principle 2: Catch & store energy; 3: Obtain a yield; 6: Produce no waste;
Take a look at some of our recipes for using your homemade yoghurt…
