A quick throw-together entertainer! Blend this dukkah in two minutes with pre-roasted nuts and an epic spice blend, ready to serve up with your fave bread and olive oil.
In This Post You’ll Learn
Why We Love This
Try this extra quick and easy “no toast method” for dukkah next time you’re craving a crunchy, spicy snack!
This tasty nut and spice blend is a great all rounder. Use our base recipe below or get creative with different nuts and spices to make a completely unique blend.
Serve with fluffy bread and olive oil for a simple snack, or add it to your favourite meals – such as salads, soups, roasts, side dishes and more.
Related: Baharat Spice Mix / Japanese Curry Powder
Spice It Up: 4 DIY Dukkah Twists with Nut and Spice Variations
Experiment with these variations below and add in your own flavour combos to see what type of dukkah you like best!
Classic: Start with the traditional mix of hazelnuts, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, and a pinch of salt. It’s the OG dukkah flavour that never disappoints.
Mediterranean: Switch things up by blending almonds, pine nuts for your nuts, then oregano, thyme, and a hint of smoked paprika for your spices.
Citrus Zing: Add a citrusy twist with pistachios, dried orange or lemon zest, lemon thyme, fennel seeds, and a dash of sea salt. Goes really well with lamb and fish dishes.
Sweet & Spicy: For the adventurous, mix up cashews, cinnamon, chili flakes, cardamom, and a 1/2 tsp of brown sugar. A perfect balance of sweet and spicy to surprise your senses. Add it to popcorn for a completely unique and warming twist.
What is Dukkah?
Dukkah is a Middle Eastern condiment made from a blend of toasted nuts and spices. It originated in Egypt, where it’s typically served as a condiment with bread and oil or sliced veggies as a quick and economical snack.
The Arabic word dukkah (also written as duqqa, du’ah or do’a) translates as “to pound”, since the mix of nuts and spices are pounded in a mortar and pestle into a coarse and crunchy texture.
Like all good homemade recipes, you’ll find lots of variations between households and street vendors, but there are a few common ingredients like hazelnuts, sesame seeds, cumin, and fennel seeds that are usually thrown into the mix.
Dukkah has become more and more popular outside of Egypt over time, especially in the US and Australia.
In fact, it can be quite expensive to buy dukkah at home in Australia, where it’s considered to be quite “fancy”. We were surprised to learn from our Egyptian friends, Sara and Khlood, that in Egypt, it’s considered to be a cheap / low-budget street food!
What You’ll Need
- Nuts – Egyptian dukkah is commonly made with crushed pistachios and hazelnuts. We love using mixed roasted nuts from the store to make this even quicker and easier to prepare. You can also use raw nuts and toast / roast them yourself if you prefer.
- White Sesame Seeds – One of the common ingredients in most variations of dukkah. You may find different nuts and spices but white sesame seeds are usually present.
- Spices – For the most traditional Egyptian flavour profile you’ll need ground coriander, ground cumin, and fennel seeds along with salt and pepper.
How to Make Quick and Easy Dukkah
First, gather your ingredients: See recipe card below for measurements.
- Add your roasted mixed nuts to a food processor (or mortar and pestle if crushing by hand) and pulse for around 10 seconds or until you have a good mix of large and small crushed nuts. If you prefer a finer dukkah, that’s also fine.
- Transfer nut mix to a medium bowl and pour in your sesame seeds, ground coriander, ground cumin, fennel seeds, sea salt and black pepper. Give it a good mix until well combined.
- Suggestion: Serve with olive oil and bread.
Wandercook’s Tips
- Crushing the Nuts – Be careful and don’t overdo it, you’re aiming for a crunchy, coarse texture, not a fine powder. A few quick pulses should do the trick in a blender, or use your elbow grease with a mortar and pestle.
- Leftovers – Any dukkah you have used for dipping should be used up straight away or discarded.
- Storage – Store fresh/unused dukkah in an airtight container or glass jar in the pantry away from light. Homemade dukkah will last around 2 weeks.
FAQs
If you prefer to roast your own fresh nuts, the easiest way is to actually dry toast them in a frying pan or skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Move the nuts around the pan every 30 seconds or so to make sure they’re evenly toasted. You can toast the sesame seeds in the same way (or at the same time) if you like. Remove from the pan and allow to cool (around 5-10 minutes).
You can also roast the nuts and seeds in the oven (preheated to 200°C / 390°F) on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Roast for around 7-8 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool (around 5-10 minutes).
This flavour packed seasoning works amazingly as a crispy crust for roast lamb, roast chicken or baked fish. It’s also a great way to add extra crunch and flavour to your favourite rice bowls, scrambled eggs, and soups (especially pumpkin soup!).
Why not try it as a tasty decoration on top of your favourite dips (especially hummus!), sauces and dressings like roasted sesame dressing.
They’re often used in similar ways, but they’re not the same.
The main difference is that dukkah is made with chunkier crushed, roasted nuts and seeds, while za’atar is made with a base of herbs such as thyme and usually has a finer texture.
Variations
- Deeper Flavour – Dry toast the sesame seeds, coriander and cumin for 30 seconds over a low medium heat. Allow to cool then mix through the crushed nuts.
- Add Seeds – Try it with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pine nuts.
- Herbs & Spices – Tweak the flavour with extra dried herbs and spices such as thyme, marjoram, paprika or sumac.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted mixed nuts 130 g / 4.5 oz, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds and pistachios work well
- ⅓ cup white sesame seeds 40 g / 1.4 oz, toasted or untoasted
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp fennel seeds sub caraway, thyme or oregano
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add your 1 cup roasted mixed nuts to a food processor (or mortar and pestle if crushing by hand) and pulse for around 10 seconds or until you have a good mix of large and small crushed nuts. If you prefer a finer dukkah, that’s also fine.
- Transfer nut mix to a medium bowl and pour in your ⅓ cup white sesame seeds, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp sea salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Give it a good mix until well combined.
- Serve with olive oil and bread.
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