I probably say this a lot and it's true -- I love trying out new cuisines and exploring new flavors. When the world has so much to offer, why stick to just one kind of food? I am always on the hunt, looking for something new to try and thankfully, my husband also enjoys the journey. Having said that, as much open minded as we are towards food, we are not all that adventurous to try out something bizarre. Bottom line -- it has to smell good, sound good or at the most, look good.
While reading Ana Sortun's Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, I learned about a spice mix called Dukkah (say Dooh-kah), which can also be spelled as Duqqa or Dukka. My Indian friends might automatically relate to the word 'suffering' or 'stress' because that's what it means in Hindi (kind of). Trust me, it's nowhere even close to anything sad.
It has a robust flavor, looks rustic, tastes nutty and can bring immense joy to your belly. This crumbly spice mix is mostly used as a bread dip with olive oil.
Dukkah - The famous Egyptian spice blend has way too many versions than one can even imagine. With nuts and whole spice seeds as the key ingredients, various doors of possibilities automatically open up making it very versatile. If you are allergic to one kind of nut, you can pick the one that you can eat. Even if you don't have the spices mentioned out here, improvise and pick something else which might have a fairly close flavor.
For now, I am happy with this combination and will let my creative-hat rest for a while.
I used this spice in a lot of different dishes. To mention a few -- lentil soup, fish cakes, sprinkled it on fish before pan-frying it, added it on roasted vegetables, salad, yogurt sauce (raita)...
But first, let's get some bread, a good quality extra virgin olive oil and enjoy it the authentic way -- as a dip!
My advice, do not make it in a huge batch. It looses its flavor eventually. The reason why I always prefer making spice mixes at home is because it remains fresh and is always more flavorful.
Making Dukkah would take hardly 10 minutes. So, make it in small batches and store in a cool, dark place for no more than a month.
Dukkah – Middle Eastern Spice Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds (blanched and skin removed)
- ¼ cup coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated pepper
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons coconut flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
blanch the almonds
- Pour the almonds in a bowl and cover it with hot water.
- Let it stand for 1 minute, drain the hot water and rinse under cold water.
- Pat dry and peel off the skin.
make the spice
- Once the almonds are blanched, layer them in a tissue paper and let it dry completely before you grind them.
- Dry roast the spices (coriander, cumin and fennel) separately and then using a coffee blender or a mixer, grind them to a rough dust.
- Dry roasts the sesame seeds and keep them aside.
- In a bowl, mix the ground spices, ground almonds, sesame seeds, coconut flakes, freshly grated pepper and salt.
- Store it in an airtight jar, like any other spice mix.
Notes
2. I prefer not to roast the coconut flakes but you could always roast them.
Nutrition
Poornima
This sounds like an amazing mixture, love the combination of spices and nuts! Stunning pics!!
Reem | Simply Reem
Can you believe I too did a post inspired by same cookbook..
Wise Girls think alike..LOL
This looks fantastic!!..Love the clicks Kankana...
Shumaila
I have all the spices necessary for this! Gorgeous clicks as always!
Radhika@JustHomemade
wonder how I never heard of this, sounds so delish!
Aunt B's Kitchen
I enjoy the flavour of this blend but have always purchased it ready-made. I'm sure that making it myself will result in a much brighter taste. Thank you for sharing the instructions. I'll be sharing a link to this post on my FB page.
chinmayie @ love food eat
This sounds really tasty. I have never tried Dukkah but since i am familiar with all the spices used here I am sure I will enjoy it.
foodwanderings
Nice Kankana. Just few weeks ago we were talking about it on one of my trips. Glad that you posted this. I think one of the papers in LA wrote about it too I got to check now that this post ressurected my memory/ lol
Alya
Am definitely trying this once I've moved! (this week is utter chaos.)
You'v ealso inspired me to try some of my own blends as well... or try more frequently.
IshitaUnblogged
Kankana, amazing photography as usual. Welcome to the Middle-East! Dukkah is supposed to possess enormous health benefits...
Nancy/SpicieFoodie
Hi Kankana,
I've heard of this spice and have been wanting to give it a try. So happy to see you do a post on it. Your photos are so gorgeous! Now I really need to give it a try soon.
Joanne
Just judging by the ingredients, this spice blend and I have a date with destiny! Delicious.
Tamara
I haven't heard of this spice actually, but I really like it. Thanks for the recipe and gorgeous photos!
nisha
now thats something ive never heard of before, and a cuisine i havent really cooked much (have indulged n it quite a bit though). Pics are gorgeous
Arch
I love mid-Eastern food...this sounds like a great idea...never imagined they would used coconut flakes in this spice mix...Love the pictures Kankana...simply superb !
Nami | Just One Cookbook
Ahhh Kankana, you are my inspiration. Just looking at your photos made me feel I need to work on my photography skills and practice more instead of thinking how I can improve. So thank you. 🙂 I can't wait to see how you come up with meals with this spice mix!
Vishakha
Hearing about Dukkah for the first time. Sounds very interesting with a unique blend of spices. I enjoyed reading the intro to the recipe. R & I are also big foodies and love trying new food wherever we go. He's more adventurous than I am.. though I've had more bizarre stuff than him ;-))
Loved each and every photo. So perfectly styled.:)
Rosa
One of my favorite spice blends. Wonderful when sprinkled over salads and amazing when used as a bread dip with olive oil.
Great pictures!
Cheers,
Rosa
sulagna
ok this sounds familiar yet new ..must try this one !
Spandana
Sounds interesting Kankana. I would love to try it.
The pictures look wonderful.
Nicole
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous. Such nice work. I have heard of this spice, but never knew what it was. Thanks for writing about it.