I’ve never been to Egypt but this is how I imagine it tastes…….Dukka is a ground blend of spices and nuts and is eaten in Egypt as a pre-dinner nibble with bread and oil. The idea is to dip chunks of bread into some good quality peppery extra virgin olive oil then dunk greedily into the dry spice mix and gobble in one! However, I also add it to salads and roasted vegetables such as carrots and beets. It can also be used as a dry rub for lamb or to top fresh bread dough before baking.
I first saw this recipe in Hugh’s River Cottage Everyday book and immediately loved it! Hugh we love you but I have adapted the recipe and added some extra flavours of my own which I think go nicely. As we found out this sunny summer weekend, this nibble goes down a bit too well with a chilled glass of pinot and some jovial company….
- A handful of hazelnuts OR a large handful of chopped roasted hazelnuts
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Small handful shredded mint leaves
- Toast the hazelnuts in a hot oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and roll them in between a tea towel to remove the skins. Add to a pestle and mortar and crush coarsely or chop into small pieces
- Toast the seeds spices in a dry frying pan until fragrant and they just begin to crackle. Add the to the nuts in the pestle and mortar along with the chilli flakes and salt. Grind coarsely
- Shred some fresh mint and stir into the spices.
- Enjoy with oil and bread for dipping
