Dukkah (Basic Recipe)
1 cup nuts
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional Additions
Dried herbs – marjoram, mint, thyme
Dried lemon zest
Hot pepper – red pepper flakes, chili powder
Pepper – freshly ground or whole peppercorns
Salt
Seeds – caraway, fennel, nigella
Spices – baharat, cinnamon, clove, turmeric
1 cup nuts
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional Additions
Dried herbs – marjoram, mint, thyme
Dried lemon zest
Hot pepper – red pepper flakes, chili powder
Pepper – freshly ground or whole peppercorns
Salt
Seeds – caraway, fennel, nigella
Spices – baharat, cinnamon, clove, turmeric
Toast nuts and seeds in separate batches. Let cool completely.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse. The mixture may fine or coarse, depending on personal preference, but be sure it is dry and crumbly. Over‐mixing will turn it into a paste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooking Basics: How to Toast Nuts (and Why!)
Toasting nuts intensifies their flavor. The oils are activated and the nut flesh crisps. You'll get more low notes of caramel and earthiness, while bitter and sour flavors are toned down. For large batches of nuts, spread them on a sheetpan in a single layer and toast them in a 400‐degree oven for about 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally during this time to make sure the nuts toast evenly. The nuts are done when their color has deepened and you can smell their aroma.
For smaller batches, you can toast them in a dry (un‐oiled) pan over medium heat. Shake the pan constantly to prevent burning, and the nuts are toasted when they're evenly brown and have an aroma.
It's best to toast only as many nuts as you'll be using immediately. The intense toasted flavor diminishes with time.
Quick Tip: Boost Flavor by Toasting Spices
When cooking with whole spices, toasting them before grinding amps up their flavor and aroma in the final dish. Here's how!
Most of the time, we prefer to toast our spices on the stove top. Put your spices in a small skillet over medium‐low heat, and shake the pan occasionally to prevent burning. The spices are toasted when you can smell their aroma. Transfer them immediately to a spice grinder or mortar for grinding.
When working with multiple spices, it's usually ok to toast them all together in the same pan as long as they're all being added to the dish at the same time. If the size of the spices are significantly different, then you can toast them in separate batches.
We should also note that the spices we're talking about here are generally whole seeds or dried berries ‐ not dried herbs or powdered spices. Whole seeds and dried berries retain more of their aromas and essential oils, which deteriorate quickly once the spices are ground.
Give this a try next time you make a curry or a spice rub for a roast, and see if you notice the difference!
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse. The mixture may fine or coarse, depending on personal preference, but be sure it is dry and crumbly. Over‐mixing will turn it into a paste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooking Basics: How to Toast Nuts (and Why!)
Toasting nuts intensifies their flavor. The oils are activated and the nut flesh crisps. You'll get more low notes of caramel and earthiness, while bitter and sour flavors are toned down. For large batches of nuts, spread them on a sheetpan in a single layer and toast them in a 400‐degree oven for about 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally during this time to make sure the nuts toast evenly. The nuts are done when their color has deepened and you can smell their aroma.
For smaller batches, you can toast them in a dry (un‐oiled) pan over medium heat. Shake the pan constantly to prevent burning, and the nuts are toasted when they're evenly brown and have an aroma.
It's best to toast only as many nuts as you'll be using immediately. The intense toasted flavor diminishes with time.
Quick Tip: Boost Flavor by Toasting Spices
When cooking with whole spices, toasting them before grinding amps up their flavor and aroma in the final dish. Here's how!
Most of the time, we prefer to toast our spices on the stove top. Put your spices in a small skillet over medium‐low heat, and shake the pan occasionally to prevent burning. The spices are toasted when you can smell their aroma. Transfer them immediately to a spice grinder or mortar for grinding.
When working with multiple spices, it's usually ok to toast them all together in the same pan as long as they're all being added to the dish at the same time. If the size of the spices are significantly different, then you can toast them in separate batches.
We should also note that the spices we're talking about here are generally whole seeds or dried berries ‐ not dried herbs or powdered spices. Whole seeds and dried berries retain more of their aromas and essential oils, which deteriorate quickly once the spices are ground.
Give this a try next time you make a curry or a spice rub for a roast, and see if you notice the difference!