Dukkah is an aromatic spice blend originating out of Egypt. Walking the streets of Cairo you can find street vendors selling Dukkah out of paper cones along with olive oil and strips of pita bread to dip as a snack. It’s delicious and, being so easy to make, makes a great addition to your repertoire.
In Egypt each family and vendor has their own special recipe blend, however the common ingredients include ground nuts such as hazelnuts or pistachios, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and salt. Dukkah is from the Arabic word ‘to pound’ and after being toasted, the ingredients are pounded together with a mortar and pestle to release the flavor and create coarse crumbs.
Dukkah is delicious with many dishes so feel free to get creative with its uses. As a start, try it:
- As an appetizer dip warm fresh bread in olive oil, then the dukkah
- Sprinkled on top of a hummus or guacamole dip
- As a garnish on your favourite soup or salad
- Sprinkled over roast veggies
- Topped on your morning eggs
A handmade jar of Dukkah will even make a lovely gift around the holidays, or as thanks to a host.
Making your own Dukkah takes nearly no time at all and with whole fresh ingredients you will be treated to a flavor far superior to a store bought version. Find whole spices and roast them right before you need them, adapt the quantities to your taste, and enjoy serving good wholesome food, inspired from afar, to your friends and family.
Put out a small bowl of Dukkah with fresh-baked bread and olive oil next time you have guests over and we bet it will disappear in no time!
Pistachio Dukkah Egyptian Spice Mix
This aromatic spice blend is made with pistachios, seeds and spices. Use as a dip or garnish to add something special to your favorite dishes like hummus, bread and olive oil, roast veggies, avocado toast, eggs, and more.
- ½ cup pistachios
- 1 tbsp. coriander
- 1 tbsp. cumin
- 4 tbsp. sesame seeds
- ½ tsp. salt
- In a pan or the oven, toast the pistachios for 6-8 minutes, stirring them so they don’t burn. Set aside.
- Toast the cumin seeds and coriander seeds for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and starting to darken. Set aside.
- Toast the sesame seeds for 3-5 minutes until golden, stirring constantly. Set aside.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mortar and pestle and grind together until the nuts are roughly crushed. You could also use a food processor, but avoid over mixing into a powder or paste.
- Store in a sealed jar for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for 3 months.
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