Pistachio Dukkah

Ever hear of dukkah - AKA Duqqa - before?

It’s a middle eastern condiment made from ground spices, seeds, and nuts - in this case, ground pistachios.

Coming from the arabic word for “to pound”, the seed and nut blend is popular in North African cuisines, and can be traced back to ancient Egypt.

It’s sold as a street food condiment in Egypt - in paper cones, accompanying pita and other items. For those unable to travel to the other side of the world... Trader Joes carries a version.

The first time I tried it, I immediately knew I’d have to put it on EVERYTHING. It adds just the right touch of warm flavour to a huge variety of dishes - more on that in a minute.

Anyway, lots to speak about when it comes to my pistachio dukkah recipe, so let’s get to it!

Ways to Use Dukkah

The first time you make dukkah, you may find yourself just snarfing a spoonful - straight up - here and there. It’s a nut and seed blend, after all - why NOT treat a chunkier batch of it like a snack food?

(This is why I tend to make a large batch of it, LOL)

That said, there are a bunch of great ways to use the stuff - it can bring SO much, to a variety of dishes.

Some ideas for using dukkah:

1. Traditionally, you’d serve it as part of an appetizer. Get a small bowl of a nice extra virgin olive oil, and some fresh bread. Dip the bread in the oil, then in the dukkah.

2. Use it as a salad topping! I make a simple green salad topped with grilled halloumi and figs, and a fruity vinaigrette. It’s AMAZING with a handful of the dukkah mix on top!

3. It’s fantastic to upgrade breakfast foods. Sprinkle some of the spice mix over your avocado toast, over a bagel spread with cream cheese, or poached eggs.

If you want to be really thematic, swap the cream cheese out for labneh!

4. For that matter, it’s fabulous baked into or onto bread products. Throw on a batch of Everything Bagels, but use a chunky batch of dukkah, in place of the everything mix!

It’s also great sprinkled on pita bread, before baking.

5. Remember “Mrs Dash”, and sprinkling it on all manner of roasted, steamed or grilled veggies? Think that... but make it *Egyptian*! It’s the best way to make simple veggies taste high class.

6. Grind it down to a coarse powder and use it as a dry rub for fish, chicken, or pork. You can use it straight-up, or mix it in with some panko crumbs for a bread coating.

7. Flavour burgers with it! I use it in both Dukkah Spiced Falafel Burgers and Dukkah Spiced Lamb Burgers . SO good!

8. Upgrade your dips. Sprinkle some over hummus, labneh, or some cheese based dips.

9. Dukkah Fries. As a Canadian, I LOVE messing with fries. Drizzle cooked french fries with a little nice olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, sprinkle with crumbled feta, and top with chunky dukkah. SO good!

... and this is why I recommend making a big batch of the stuff!

Ingredients

This is an easy recipe that uses only a ingredients - a mix of nuts, seeds and whole spices:

Sesame Seeds
Shelled Pistachios
Shelled Pumpkin Seeds ("Pepitas")
Sunflower Seeds
Coriander Seeds
Cumin Seeds
Salt

No real notes for you here, other than ... if you really don’t like one of the ingredients, feel free to swap it out for more of one of the ones you really like, or something similar.

If you don’t like sunflower or sesame seeds, feel free to use organic hemp seeds and/or organic flax seeds.

Part of what makes it a great recipe is that it’s so customizable - everyone has their own variation of this Egyptian spice blend.

Some use Fennel Seeds, some add garlic powder or Garlic Flakes, and others spice it up with Chilli Flakes or Cayenne Pepper.

Play around with it!

How to Make Pistachio Dukkah

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here is a visual walk through.

Measure the pistachios and pumpkin seeds into a dry nonstick pan or cast iron skillet.

Toast over medium heat - stirring constantly - until just beginning to get fragrant and turn golden brown.

Add the sunflower seeds and coriander seeds, toast for another minute or so, until THEY start to smell roasty.

Add the sesame and cumin seeds, continue toasting for another minute or so.

Transfer toasted nut and seed mixture to a mini food processor, blitz until it’s as fine as you’d like it.

Note: I like to keep it on the chunky side - I can always process it down finer if a specific use needs that!

Allow to cool - uncovered - to room temperature, then store in an airtight container.

Best when used within a day or two, but dukkah stores for a few weeks in a cool, dry place.

More Gluten Free Condiment Recipes

Looking for more safe ways to elevate your foods? I've got you covered...

Maple Caramel Sauce
Chow Chow Relish
Mango Salsa for Fish Tacos
Homemade Mayonnaise
Furikake Seasoning
Honey Dill Sauce
Sweet Mustard Pickles
Cherry Jam (Small Batch)
Peach Jam (Small Batch)
Cilantro Pesto
How to Make Compound Butter
Berbere Seasoning
Mediterranean Seasoning for Wings
Smoked Mayonnaise

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