Dukkah-Crusted Rice

Name: Dukkah-Crusted Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 1½ cups (300 g) long-grain white rice (such as jasmine or basmati); 2½ cups (590 ml) water; ¾ teaspoon (4½ g) kosher salt; 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; ½ cup (60 g) dukkah spice blend; ½ cup (65 g) roasted, unsalted hazelnuts, roughly chopped; 3 tablespoons (30 g) sesame seeds (white or mixed), toasted (optional garnish) (optional); ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fluffy steamed rice with a crispy, nutty crust of toasted dukkah spice blend—an Egyptian-inspired side dish with deep, layered flavors from hazelnuts, sesame seeds, and warm spices. The rice is cooked until tender, then butter is melted with dukkah and hazelnuts in a hot pan to form a golden, fragrant crust at the bottom, reminiscent of tahdig. Serve it as a showstopper side to grilled meats, stews, or roasted vegetables.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 45 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 3.5 cups cooked rice with dukkah crust)

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Steps

Before you start

Measure the rice and broth so they're ready to go
Have the dukkah spice blend and hazelnuts prepared and measured
Use a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron or nonstick) for the best crust formation

1
Rinse and toast the rice
- Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cool running water for about 1 minute, stirring gently with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear.
- This removes excess starch so the grains stay separate.
- If you skip this step, you'll get a chewier rice.
- Shake the strainer to remove excess water.
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Ready when: Water runs mostly clear
Tip: Rinsing is especially important for jasmine rice, which has more surface starch than basmati.
2
Bring water and salt to a boil
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Stir once to dissolve the salt.
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Ready when: Water is at a rolling boil
Tip: Use a pot that's large enough so the boiling water doesn't boil over when you add the rice.
3
Add rice and return to boil
- Stir the rinsed rice into the boiling water and stir well for about 30 seconds to separate any grains.
- Return the water to a boil, which should take about 1 minute.
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Ready when: Rice is boiling and water comes back to a full boil
Tip: Don't skip the initial stir; it prevents the rice from clumping as it cooks.
4
Reduce heat and simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Do not lift the lid during cooking.
- After 15 minutes, you can carefully peek to see if the water level has dropped, but avoid repeated uncovering.
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Ready when: No visible water remains, rice grains are tender and separate easily with a fork
Tip: If you open the lid early, steam escapes and the rice may not cook evenly. Resist the urge to stir.
5
Rest the rice
- Remove from the heat and let the covered rice rest for 5 minutes.
- This allows any remaining moisture to distribute evenly and the grains to firm up slightly.
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Ready when: Rice grains are fully separated and light
Tip: Don't skip this resting step; it's essential for light, fluffy rice.
6
Fluff the rice
- Uncover the rice and use a fork or wooden rice paddle to gently fluff the rice from the bottom of the pan, breaking up any clumps.
- Transfer the rice to a bowl and set aside.
- You should have about 4.5 cups of cooked rice.
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Ready when: Rice is light, fluffy, and grains are fully separated
Tip: Fluffing prevents a dense, mushy final dish. Work gently to keep grains intact.
7
Toast dukkah and hazelnuts
- In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dukkah spice blend and chopped hazelnuts together for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
- The mixture should smell deeply fragrant and the hazelnuts should deepen slightly in color.
- Be careful not to burn it—reduce heat to medium-low if the pan gets too hot.
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Ready when: Mixture is very fragrant, hazelnuts are slightly darker, and no raw spice smell remains
Tip: Toasting the dukkah and hazelnuts separately first deepens their flavor and ensures even browning. Watch carefully—they can burn quickly.
8
Create the dukkah crust
- In a large (10- to 12-inch) heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron is ideal), melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Once foaming, add the toasted dukkah-hazelnut mixture and stir to combine, about 30 seconds.
- Immediately add the cooked rice all at once, spreading it in an even layer and pressing gently with the back of a wooden spoon to compact it.
- Do not stir; you want the rice to sit undisturbed in the butter mixture.
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Ready when: Butter is foaming and rice is spread evenly in the pan
Tip: Pressing the rice gently helps it make contact with the hot pan so a crust forms. Resist the urge to stir while the crust develops.
9
Cook until crust forms
- Without stirring, cook the rice over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
- You should hear a gentle crackling sound from the bottom of the pan (this is the crust forming—the Arabic term is tahdig).
- Every minute or so, you can carefully lift a small section at the edge with a wooden spoon to check that a golden-brown layer is forming.
- The rice should smell toasty and nutty.
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Ready when: Golden-brown, fragrant crust is visible when you lift the edge; gentle crackling sound from the pan
Tip: Don't worry if you hear the rice crackling—that's exactly what you want. But if the smell becomes acrid or you see heavy smoke, reduce the heat slightly.
10
Loosen and serve
- Remove the skillet from heat and use a wooden spoon to gently loosen the rice from the sides and bottom of the pan, breaking the crust into large golden shards.
- Transfer the rice and crust to a serving platter or bowl, scooping from the bottom to ensure you get the crispiest bits.
- Arrange the crusty pieces on top where they'll be visible.
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Ready when: Crust is loosened and breaking into shards; all rice is transferred to the platter
Tip: Work quickly while the crust is still warm and crisp. If it hardens too much as it cools, it becomes brittle and hard to break.
11
Garnish and serve
- If using, scatter the toasted sesame seeds and fresh parsley over the rice.
- Serve immediately while the crust is still warm and crispy.
- The rice is best eaten within a few minutes of plating.
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Ready when: Rice is garnished and ready to serve
Tip: Add garnishes just before serving so the sesame seeds stay toasted and the parsley stays fresh and bright.

Good to know

Tips

Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian spice blend of toasted hazelnuts, sesame seeds, chickpeas, coriander, cumin, and salt. If you can't find it, you can make your own by toasting and grinding the individual spices, but store-bought saves time and is very authentic.
The crust (tahdig in Persian and Arabic cuisine) is the most prized part of this dish. Cast iron skillets are best for forming a deep, even crust because they distribute heat so evenly. If using a nonstick pan, reduce the heat slightly to avoid burning.
For the best crust, use a completely dry, hot pan and don't add any water once the rice is in. Any excess moisture will steam the rice instead of frying it.
This recipe pairs beautifully with grilled lamb, roasted chicken, or hearty vegetable stews. It also works as a simple side to fresh salads and grilled halloumi or cheese.

Make ahead

The rice can be cooked (step 1–6) up to 4 hours ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. To serve, reheat it gently in a large skillet with an extra 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through (about 5 minutes). Then proceed with steps 7–10 to form the crust.

Storage & reheating

Store leftover rice (without the crust) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crust is best eaten fresh, but any leftover can be reheated covered in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 10 minutes. Dukkah-crusted rice does not freeze well because the crust texture degrades. Plain cooked rice can be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed in the refrigerator overnight, then reheated with butter to form a fresh crust.

Substitutions

roasted, unsalted hazelnuts → roasted, unsalted almonds or walnuts, roughly chopped. Almonds and walnuts offer a similar texture and richness. Almonds are slightly milder; walnuts are more assertive. Use the same weight.
dukkah spice blend → za'atar spice blend. Za'atar is herbaceous where dukkah is nutty, but both are Egyptian-inspired and create a flavorful crust. You may want to reduce the amount slightly (start with ⅓ cup / 40 g) as za'atar can be more assertive.
long-grain white rice (such as jasmine or basmati) → medium-grain white rice or short-grain sushi rice. Medium-grain rice will be slightly creamier; short-grain rice will be stickier. Adjust the water ratio: for medium-grain, use 2.25 cups (530 ml) water; for short-grain, use 2 cups (470 ml). The dukkah crust will still form beautifully.
unsalted butter → extra-virgin olive oil or ghee. Ghee has a deeper, nuttier flavor that complements dukkah even better. Olive oil is lighter but creates a slightly less crispy crust. Use the same volume.