Thursday, June 22, 2006

Dukkah

I come from a family that has always loved to travel. As long as I can remember, the trips usually end with a trip to the local grocery store or market to get the three staple souvenirs - coffee, dark chocolate, and spices.

Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend that I was introduced to, oddly enough, in Bulgaria. On one of the shopping trips to the market, I handed over a fistful of cash and walked away with some bottles of spices. This was one of them, and although it's been long gone from my spice rack, I've always wanted to try and recreate my own.

The heady aroma of the spice blend as it is crushed will absolutely stun you. The freshly toasted coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds, along with the toasted hazelnuts and pine nuts is a winning combination that's also extremely versatile. Dukkah is normally served with fresh bread and with a bowl of olive oil. After dipping the bread into the oil, you then dip it into the spices, and enjoy. Although that is the common method of serving, it would be excellent on any number of things - sprinkle on vegetables or rice, spread over pita bread with olive oil and bake, dip hardboiled eggs into it, or use it as a seasoning blend for the Microtato Chips. No matter how it's used, it will be thoroughly enjoyable.

dukkah

Dukkha
1 c hazelnuts
1 c pine nuts
1 tbsp fennel seed
1 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp peppercorn
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt

In a dry pan over moderately high heat, toast hazelnuts and pine nuts until nicely browned, 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool. Add fennel, cumin, and coriander to pan, and toast 2-3 minutes. Place in mortar and pestle, and grind. Place in a bowl. Crack peppercorn with mortar and pestle, and add to bowl. Pulse nuts to a coarse grind in a food processor. Do not overprocess! Add to bowl, along with remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine. Store in an airtight container.

12 comments:

emily said...

Isn't there traditionally some sumac in the dukkha mix?

Susan Voisin said...

It sounds delicious. I'm going to try it over vegetables. Thanks for the recipe!

Anonymous said...

Mmm ... once in a while (but with no predictability) Boulette's Larder makes this. It's excellent on couscous.

Haalo said...

That's a lovely mix for dukkha.

Kalyn Denny said...

Sounds very intereting. I was familiar with a middle eastern blend calle Zataar which sounds like it is used in a smilar way, but this sounds like a very different flavor.

Fiber said...

Emily - the recipes I've seen haven't included sumac, but I'm sure you could.

SusanV - it would be excellent on vegetables. It's also tasty in a grilled cheese sandwich.

Sean - that's another great serving idea. I'll have to try it.

Haalo - considering you're the spice mix master, that's high praise!

Kalyn - I'll have to do some research and find out what this zataar is...

Johanna - you betcha! Enoy!

Virginie said...

I like making my own condiments and didn't know this egyptian recipe. With the nuts it must taste so good. I'll try it. Thank you for posting it.

Anonymous said...

My husband got some Zatar as a gift from his Armenian relatives. It's in a regular plastic spice jar, I'll try to get a look at the ingreds and comment again tomorrow.

Someone bought it in NYC.

GollyGumDrops said...

I'm going to try in on a cream cheese bagel. I'm certain it would work realy well for lunch .

Anonymous said...

Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
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Anonymous said...

Hi,

Just found your blog and this recipe. Made it this afternoon and the family has been noshing ever since. Really good.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Where did you find it? Interesting read » » »