Egyptian Dukkah is a warm, rustic and aromatic blend of spices that have a delicate, earthy flavor.
Just like most other seasonings, the Dukkah adds some nice character to your soups, salads, wraps and roasted veggies. What’s great is the fact that you can batch make it too.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
- ¾ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup walnuts, raw
- ½ cup almonds, raw
How to Make the Egyptian Dukkah
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here’s the step by step process you’ll need to follow to make the spice blend.
Place the walnuts and almonds in a pan dry roast briefly over medium-high heat, tossing regularly, until the nuts gain some colour.
Add the sesame seeds and toast until they turn golden brown. Transfer to a side dish.
In the same pan place coriander, cumin, black pepper, white pepper and toast stirring frequently 1-2 minutes until they pop.
Then add the fennel seeds and cook on low heat, making sure they don’t end up getting burned.
In a coffee grinder, finely grind cumin and coriander seeds. In a food processor, add walnuts, almonds and the finely ground cumin and coriander seeds.
Mix it all well and serve with oil, crusty bread and hard boiled eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the Dukkah, you’ll need walnuts, almonds and a mix of spices and herbs. If you’re looking to play around a bit with the flavors, you can try bringing some other nuts like pistachios and hazelnuts into the play.
Green peppercorns, sunflower seeds, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, hulled pumpkin seeds and black sesame seeds are some other good additions you can consider throwing into the mix.
Simply put, no! Dukkah and Zaatar both have Middle Eastern, roots, but they are quite different both in terms of flavor and texture.
Yes you can! Allow the spice rub to cool down completely before you transfer it to an airtight container or a glass jar, and refrigerate it for weeks.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Egyptian Dukkah
Putting the spice rub together may be super easy, but you can’t say no to these little tricks and hacks that can really help you take the flavors and textures up a notch.
- It may sound counterintuitive, but you don’t need to add any oil to the pan or skillet while roasting the nuts. Most nuts already have their own oils, which get released into the pan.
- Remember to keep tossing the nuts around in the pan every few seconds to ensure they don’t end up getting burned on one side, and are nice and crunchy all throughout.
- If you’d like a bit of spice, you can also add some cayenne pepper into the mix.
- It is always a good idea to use a cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed skillet to roast the nuts and spices. They ensure even heat distribution, and your nuts are less likely to get burned.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
The versatile Ehyptian Dukkah spice blend can be used in a lot of ways. You can use it as a topping for your salads or roasted vegetables or sprinkle a bit over your bowl of soup.
Dukkah can also be used as a crunchy coating for your roast meats. If you’re looking for something straightforward, just serve it with some warm pita bread and extra virgin olive oil as a snack.
Loved how easy it was to put this dish together? Inspired enough to try out some more such fun and easy condiments and spice mixes? Here are a few handpicked ones you might want to take a look at.
