Dukkah (Egyptian Toasted Nut and Seed Blend)

Method

1. 1
   • hazelnuts 120 g
   • almonds 60 g

   Toast and skin the nuts — Toast the hazelnuts and almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, shaking often, until the skins darken and split and the kitchen smells strongly of nuts. Tip them into a tea towel, wrap up and rub hard to slough off the hazelnut skins.

   ⏱8 min
2. 2
   • sesame seeds 4 tbsp

   Toast the sesame seeds — Put the pan back on the heat and toast the sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they start to pop and turn straw gold. Tip them straight onto a cold plate so they stop cooking.

3. 3
   • coriander seeds 2 tbsp
   • cumin seeds 1 tbsp
   • fennel seeds 2 tsp

   Toast the whole spices — Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and peppercorns together for 60-90 seconds, until they smell warm and have gone one shade darker. Pull the pan off at the first hint of smoke — scorched spices will make the whole batch bitter.

4. 4
   • olive oil 6 tbsp

   Cool everything completely — Let everything cool completely, about 10 minutes. This is not optional: warm nuts release their oil under the pestle and turn to paste instead of crumb.

   ⏱10 min
5. 5
   • sesame seeds 4 tbsp
   • chilli flakes ½ tsp
   • salt 1 tsp

   Pound to a coarse crumb — Pound the nuts in a mortar to a coarse gravel, then grind the toasted spices and add them. Stir through the sesame seeds, salt and chilli flakes. Short pulses in a processor work too, but stop while the mixture still crunches — dukkah should never be a powder.

6. 6
   • olive oil 6 tbsp
   • pita bread 4

   Serve with oil and bread — Serve in a shallow bowl next to a saucer of olive oil, with warm torn flatbread for dipping first in the oil and then in the dukkah. It keeps in an airtight jar for a month.