Dukkah (pronounced “DOO-kah”) is a Middle Eastern blend of toasted nuts, sesame seeds and spices. The crunchy condiment served on olive oil-dipped flatbread is especially popular in Egypt, where nearly every family has developed its own version to suit its
Dukkah (pronounced “DOO-kah”) is a Middle Eastern blend of toasted nuts, sesame seeds and spices. The crunchy condiment served on olive oil-dipped flatbread is especially popular in Egypt, where nearly every family has developed its own version to suit its personal taste.
But dukkah — traditionally featuring hazelnuts ground in a mortar and pestle — has gone on a bit of a globe trot recently, initially surfacing in Australia and New Zealand.
Check out MariasFarmCountryKitchen.com for the story about how Maria Rodale, an independent publisher of organic health and lifestyle books, discovered what she refers to as “dry dip” during her travels Down Under.
Now, dukkah is starting to trend in the United States: The just-released cookbook “In a Nutshell” (W.W. Norton), by Cara Tannenbaum and Andrea Tutunjian, offers a recipe with an international spin, combining Brazil nuts and hazelnuts with sesame and sunflower seeds and coconut flakes.
Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s sells small jars of the condiment. Its version has distinctive anise notes, according to the blog Eating at Joe’s.
To eat dukkah, dip your chip, bread or crudite into olive oil and then coat with the nut/spice mixture.
Dukkah also is delicious sprinkled on everything from eggs and pasta to roasted or fresh vegetables, or swirled into yogurt or salad dressings.
It also is very good sprinkled on feta cheese and hummus.
But why is there all this hoopla about dukkah?
It’s high in protein and fiber with minimal saturated fat, cholesterol or sugar. Plus, when you use a food processor, it’s a snap to make a batch.
Shopping tip: The spiced nuts the author and her newspaper used for testing this recipe (before the jump) are available at Trader Joe’s.
However, if you prefer a less spicy version, use a combination of almonds and cashews, toast and continue with the recipe.
Cooking tip: Toasting intensifies the flavor of nuts and seeds, but watch the process carefully, as they burn quickly.
