Dukkah is a spice blend and condiment from Egypt that lies outside of your ordinary spice cabinet collection, but that’s a good reason to try it! Surprisingly versatile, dukkah is a blend of toasted nuts, seeds, and spices with a nutty, earthy flavour. It's growing in popularity with chefs and restaurants around the Western world at the moment, so we thought we'd tell you a little bit about how to use it and where to buy it!
Filled with components like toasted sesame seeds, hazelnuts, and almonds, you’ll get a crunch and texture perfect for snacking and serving up on impressive, crusted dishes. Those nuts and seeds, alongside spices like cumin and coriander (with a dash of sea salt), create a rich, smoky blend you’ll want to sprinkle on everything.
Shop our Dukkah Blend at Zest & Zing!
Of course, there are many variations of dukkah, depending on where you travel and who you ask. A lot of it depends on the preferences of the chef. Some dukkah blends may also include pistachios, cashews, fennel seeds, mint, red pepper flakes, or even sugar.
Dukkah is the perfect conversation-starting, irresistible appetizer. It’s got a unique and complex flavour, yet you hardly have to do a thing to it before serving. Its simplicity is part of the beauty! All you need besides this spice blend is a good olive oil and a crusty loaf of fresh bread. Run a chunk of bread through the oil and then dip it into the dukkah, and that’s it! Restaurants all over are creating their own versions to use as an intriguing table condiment for customers.
You can also use dukkah as a crispy coating and seasoning. It creates a lovely crust on fish, meat, and vegetables, whether you're roasting or searing. Dukkah is commonly used on lamb, chicken, duck,halibut, and eventofu. Consider using dukkah when you’re roasting broccoli, cauliflower, or squash to give it a nice texture - all you have to do is toss your vegetables in olive oil and dukkah before they go in the oven. Or swap out panko crumbs for dukkah when you make crustedchicken tenders orroasted salmon. Anywhere you’d use bread crumbs or you want that addictive crunchy feel, dukkah works. Think a tangy yogurt diplike this one or even macaroni and cheese...
Don't forget to use dukkah as a condiment too! Since it’s traditionally used as a dip like we mentioned above, you can also spoon it over vegetables and snacks. Go ahead and blend it with olive oil and slather it on top of avocado toast, radishes, or your everyday hummus or yogurt.
But don’t stop there. You can get creative with dukkah. Use it to top your pastas and cheeses like feta or goat cheese. Some people even sprinkle it on top of fruits (like apples) to give them a nice, crunchy texture. Use a little (blended with olive oil) on top of your runny, fried eggs in the morning. Rub your flatbreads or pitas with oil, sprinkle dukkah on top, and bake them to create crispy, savoury snacks.
Instead of croutons, sprinkle some dukkah over fresh salads to add texture! Or whisk it into your salad dressings ahead of time. It’s truly versatile so you can’t really go wrong. If it sounds like a good idea, it probably works!
If you like, you canmake your own using the ingredients you already have in your cabinet, swapping out certain nuts for your favourites. But of course, we're partial to our blend. You can get dukkahright here at Zest & Zing. We sell our spices and blends in small quantities so they’re always fresh and vibrant. Trust us, you’ll want to start experimenting with dukkah right away!
