Dukkah

This dukkah recipe comes from Ian Hemphill’s (aka Herbie) ‘Spice Notes,’ a much treasured recipe book given to me on my 30th birthday.  ‘Spice Notes’ is Herbie’s definitive work on culinary herbs and spices, and dukkah is an Egyptian blend of spices and nuts. You can buy it ready-made https://www.herbies.com.au , but it’s quick and easy to make yourself. This recipe uses hazelnuts and pistachios. I’ve roasted  the cumin and coriander seeds, but this is a personal preference.

In his book, Herbie discusses the difference between a herb, which is the leaf of a plant, and a spice, which can be any other part of the plant. Think of vanilla, the dark brown bean pod  of the tropical orchid plant; cloves, the aromatic flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree in the family Myrtaceae; cinnamon, from the bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka; wattleseeds, the edible seeds from any of 120 species of the Australian acacia tree. Spices are typically used in their dried from, and in fact, many only gain their distinctive flavour when dried. Roasting and then grinding them often brings out their flavour even more.

Dukkah is such a versatile blend, served with bread and olive oil. It’s a good topping for pan-fried chicken and fish, as well as salad and roasted vegetables. One of my favourite meal-for-one dishes is https://atamandastable.com.au/sauteed-leeks-with-egg-and-dukkah/ This year, I’m making big batches of dukkah to give as Christmas gifts.

Best wishes,

Amanda

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Print Recipe

Dukkah

An Egyptian blend of nuts and spices

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Amanda Lawson

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp raw hazelnuts
• 4 tbsp raw pistachios
• 10 tbsp sesame seeds
• 5 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Place the hazelnuts and pistachios on a baking tray and cook for 10 minutes.
• While the nuts are cooking, toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry frypan, then grind them with a mortar and pestle (or use a rolling pin).
• Finely chop the roasted nuts or give them a quick blitz in the food processor. (Leave a few chunky bits).
• Mix all the ingredients together, and add extra salt if required.
• Once completely cool, store the dukkah in an airtight container for up to a month.
• Serve with Turkish bread and olive oil.

Notes

Dukkah can be sued as a topping for pan-fried fish or chicken, or sprinkled on salad or roasted vegetables.