Dukkah

Nut + Spice Blend

DIPS + SPREADSACCOUTREMENTS

Dukkah is a nut, seed, and spice mixture form the Middle East. And it's crazy delicious.

I have to admit, I was slow on the uptake with this one, which is a surprise since I really enjoy Middle Eastern food . . . .

The important thing is that I made it. And now you can, too!

From what I've seen, there are loads of ways to make dukkah (as is the case with many things: from za'atar to curries and pizza to chili . . .). Here is my preferred blend.

A few tips before you get started:

  • First, be sure to use fresh ingredients. The last thing you want is a rancid flavor.

  • Second, use whole spices (not ground). The aim with dukkah is to get your components to be a similar size; using ground spices causes the spices to fall to the bottom, leaving the nuts and seeds at the top. There's also the freshness component of roughly breaking up whole, freshly toasted spices . . . yum.

  • Third, toast your nuts, seeds, and spices. This brings out the flavors and makes them richer. (It's also probably better for digestion.)

  • Fourth, add salt as you eat. Salt has a tendency to drop to the bottom of a mixture, due to its density. Additionally, different people have different salt preferences. Go for a large, flaky salt if you can, like fleur de sel.

  • Fifth and finally, how to enjoy dukkah. It's all about the service. I prefer to give each person their own small bowl for dukkah. Pour oil on your plate, dip bread in olive oil, then dip oiled bread into dukkah. If you were to place the dukkah directly into the oil, there's a pretty severe limit on how much dukkah you can pick up (you end up with a very high oil-to-dukkah ratio, which is not desirable). Placing the dukkah in its own bowl allows for maximal dukkah adhesion. This is what we want.

*Bonus tip: serve the best with the best. This means, if at all possible, eat this with fresh, good quality bread and high quality, extra virgin olive oil. When going this simple, it's all about quality.

Additional ways to enjoy dukkah:

  • Sprinkle on top of oiled bread to eat alongside soup

  • Sprinkle as a topping on pasta dishes, soups, and salads

  • Sprinkle on roasted veg or hummus and other dips

  • . . . use your imagination!

Ingredients

Dukkah Nut + Spice Blend
  1. If you're starting with raw hazelnuts, roast them in a 350 F oven for 10-15 minutes or until fragrant. If you're starting with roasted (unsalted) hazelnuts, begin with step 2.

  2. Toast sesame seeds (alone) in a dry pan on medium heat until lightly golden. Keep an eye on these, and shake or stir around as needed. They can turn from under- to overcooked very quickly. Pour onto a plate or into a bowl to let cool.

  3. Add fennel and coriander seeds to the pan. Toast fennel and coriander seeds together in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant.

  4. Pour the fennel and coriander seeds into a mortar—allow to cool before breaking them up a bit with the pestle. (Alternatively, add them to a bowl, and use the back of a spoon or tip of a wooden spoon to break up into smaller bits.)

  5. Blitz the hazelnuts in a small food processor to a coarse grind, or chop them by hand until a similar size.

  6. Add all ingredients to a jar and mix together.

Makes ~1/3 to 1/2 cup

Instructions

Use in all manner of applications. The simplest: dip bread in oil, then in dukkah. Enjoy.

See notes above the recipe for additional tips. As noted there, place the dukkah in its own bowl. Dip bread in oil first, then dip into dukkah. This allows for maximal dukkah adhesion. This is what we want.

Last updated: October 4, 2024

  • ¼ cup hazelnuts | 35 g

  • 1 ½ T. sesame seeds

  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds, slightly heaping

  • 1 tsp. coriander seeds, slightly heaping

  • (salt, to serve)