What Is Dukkah? Its Egyptian Roots and How to Use It
Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of toasted nuts, seeds and spices, crushed together until coarse and fragrant. It brings warmth, crunch and a little savoury depth to a dish. If you have a jar in the cupboard, you are only a spoonful away from making lunch more interesting.
Where does Dukkah come from?
Dukkah comes from Egypt. Its name is linked to the Arabic word for “to pound,” describing the way the ingredients are crushed together. There is no single fixed recipe: the choice of nuts and spices, and how finely they are ground, varies from one blend to another.
One of the simplest ways to eat it is also one of the best. Tear off a piece of bread, dip it in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, then into the Dukkah. The oil catches the little pieces of nut and seed; the bread gives them somewhere to go. It makes a fine start to a meal, particularly when there are olives on the table too.
Our Egyptian Style Spiced Dukkah combines roasted almonds and hazelnuts with sesame, coriander, cumin and warming spices. Keep it somewhere close to hand. You may find yourself reaching for it more often than you expect.
How do you use Dukkah?
Finish something soft. Scatter Dukkah over houmous, labneh or a bowl of warm soup just before serving. The contrast of creamy and crunchy does much of the work. It is particularly good with purple sprouting broccoli and harissa labneh.
Give vegetables a little edge. Try it over roasted carrots, squash or cauliflower with a generous pour of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A squeeze of lemon at the end lifts the spices.
Add it to eggs. A pinch over a fried egg is lovely; our baked eggs with olives make a more leisurely version, with Dukkah scattered over the top.
Use it in the cooking. Dukkah can add a fragrant crust to meat or a crisp topping to pastry. Our Dukkah Chicken and slow roasted lamb shoulder with lemon and Dukkah show two ways to put it at the centre of a meal.
More recipes with Dukkah
There is room for it at a gathering, too. Sprinkle it over the pastry of Adana spiced sausage rolls or harissa and feta filo cigars. For something made to share, serve a Persian bread wreath with its Dukkah topped houmous.
Or begin with the bread, the oil and the Dukkah. Sometimes that is all you need.
