Ask Ivy - Dukkah

Hi, my name is Ivy and I am a very very enthusiastic cook. 

I'm known for my knowledge of ingredients and how to use them as well as scribbling recipes on post-it notes for customers who come in looking for inspiration and help. 

Today I'm going to share with you one of those in store conversations - Dukkah.

Do we stock it ready made? No. However it is really easy to make and the beauty of making your own is that you can customise it to your taste (and what you have in the cupboard). 

Let's roll back a little first. What is Dukkah? Duqqa, du'ah, do'a, or dukkah is an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts, and spices. It is typically mixed with olive oil for use as a dip with bread but it's delicious sprinkled over roasted vegetables such as the seasonal winter squash. 

Delicious right? 

Traditional dukkah recipes vary but they have some base ingredients that are essential - 

* Sesame seeds
* Cumin
* Coriander Seed

Past this you can experiment with the other ingredients of the recipe to make it your own. To get you going here is my hazelnut dukkah recipe - 

1/3 cup Hazelnuts 
4 tbsp Coriander Seeds  
3 tbsp Sesame Seeds 
2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Black Peppercorns 
1 tsp Dried Mint 
1 tsp Sea Salt

To make dukkah is really simple from here. In a hot dry pan toast all of your ingredients until fragrant. Tip everything into a mortar and pestle and grind to your preferred consistency. I like mine a bit chunky but other people might like it like a fine spice powder. Cool the mix and store in an airtight jar. It keeps for ages so it's worthwhile making a larger batch so that it's to hand for those quick and easy work night meals. 

Don't have hazelnuts? Try it with almonds or peanuts. Don't like fennel seed? Add a bit more coriander and cumin, Experiment and see what you like and let us know what you think! 

Do you have a cooking question? Send me an email at Ivy@eastergreens.co.uk!