Egyptian Dukkah Nut and Spice Dip with Olive Oil

Name: Egyptian Dukkah Nut and Spice Dip with Olive Oil
Prep time: 27 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 1 cup (135 g) raw hazelnuts, whole, skin-on or blanched; ½ cup (70 g) white sesame seeds, raw, hulled; 3 tablespoons (18 g) coriander seeds, whole; 2 tablespoons (12 g) cumin seeds, whole; 1 teaspoon (3 g) black peppercorns, whole; 1 teaspoon (4 g) flaky sea salt, crumbled between fingers (use ¾ tsp if using fine salt); 1 teaspoon (3 g) sweet paprika (optional); ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, good quality, at room temperature; 4 rounds (280 g) pita or crusty bread, warmed, torn or cut into wedges

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A crunchy, fragrant blend of toasted hazelnuts, sesame, coriander and cumin, ground to a coarse texture and served the Egyptian way: dip warm bread in good olive oil, then into the dukkah.

Prep: 27 min
Cook: 21 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 1 hr 8 min
Makes: About 1½ cups (200 g) dukkah, plus olive oil for dipping (serves 8 as a starter)

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Steps

Before you start

Buy raw, skin-on or blanched hazelnuts; if they are already roasted, shorten the oven time to 4 minutes.
Use whole seeds, not ground spices. Toasting whole seeds is what gives dukkah its deep aroma.
Have a cool plate or baking sheet ready so toasted spices can cool quickly and not keep cooking.
Pulse the nuts, never run the processor continuously, or you will make nut butter.

1
Heat the ovenOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Use a bare rimmed baking sheet with no liner.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 350°F (175°C)
2
Roast the hazelnutsOven 350°F / 175°C
- Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Roast at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway, until the nuts smell sweet and toasty and the skins are cracked and dark golden.
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Ready when: Nutty aroma; cut nut is light golden inside
Tip: Nuts burn quickly at the end. Check at 8 minutes.
3
Skin and cool nuts
- Tip the hot hazelnuts onto a clean towel, fold it over, and rub firmly for 1 minute to remove most of the papery skins.
- A few remaining bits are fine.
- Transfer nuts to a plate and cool completely, about 15 minutes.
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Ready when: Nuts are cool to the touch and snap when bitten
Tip: Grinding warm nuts makes a paste.
4
Toast the sesame
- Heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute.
- Add the sesame seeds and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until pale golden and fragrant.
- Pour onto a cool plate immediately.
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Ready when: Seeds are light golden and smell nutty
Tip: Seeds keep darkening in a hot pan, so remove them promptly.
5
Toast the spices
- In the same dry skillet over medium heat, combine the coriander, cumin and peppercorns.
- Toast, shaking the pan often, for 2–3 minutes until the cumin darkens a shade and the spices smell strongly aromatic.
- Tip onto a separate plate and cool for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Fragrant, slightly darker, cumin seeds begin to pop
Tip: If you see smoke, the spices are scorched and taste bitter. Start over.
6
Grind the spices
- Grind the cooled coriander, cumin and peppercorns in a food processor or mortar and pestle for about 30 seconds, until coarsely cracked with some pieces still visible.
- Transfer to a medium bowl.
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Ready when: Texture like coarse sand with some cracked seeds
7
Pulse the nuts
- Add the cooled hazelnuts to the food processor.
- Pulse in 1-second bursts, about 8–10 times, until the nuts are in pieces the size of small crumbs (about ⅛ inch / 3 mm).
- Stop before any clumping or oil appears.
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Ready when: Dry, crumbly and uneven, not sticky
Tip: Stir and check after every few pulses.
8
Combine and season
- Add the nuts, toasted sesame, salt and optional paprika to the ground spices.
- Stir with a spoon until evenly mixed.
- Taste a pinch and add a little more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Evenly mixed, loose and dry, well seasoned
Tip: Salt tastes stronger once the blend sits, so season lightly.
9
Serve with oil and breadOven 350°F / 175°C
- Warm the bread in a 350°F (175°C) oven or a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes per side until soft and hot.
- Pour the olive oil into a shallow bowl and spoon about 1 cup of the dukkah into another.
- Dip bread into the oil first, then press into the dukkah.
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Ready when: Bread is warm and pliable
Tip: Serve oil and dukkah in separate bowls so the blend stays crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Cool every component completely before grinding or the blend turns pasty and goes stale faster.
Keep the texture coarse; a mix of fine and chunky pieces gives the best crunch.
Let the dukkah stand 10 minutes before serving so flavors meld.
Toast spices separately from seeds, since they cook at different speeds.

Make ahead

Make the dukkah up to 2 weeks ahead and store airtight. Keep the olive oil and bread for serving day.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: airtight jar in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks. Fridge: up to 2 months for the best flavor. Freezer: up to 6 months; bring to room temperature before serving. If it softens, re-crisp in a dry skillet over low heat for 2 minutes and cool. Do not store mixed with oil.

Substitutions

raw hazelnuts → blanched almonds or pistachios. Roast almonds for 10–12 minutes; pistachios for 6–8 minutes. Flavor will differ slightly.
white sesame seeds → extra toasted hazelnuts or sunflower seeds. Sesame is traditional, but nuts or seeds work; toast sunflower seeds 3 minutes.
pita or crusty bread → raw vegetables, boiled eggs or roasted potatoes. Good for gluten-free serving; dukkah also works sprinkled on salads.
flaky sea salt → fine sea salt. Use ¾ teaspoon (3 g), because fine salt is denser than flaky.