24 May Slavic-Style Sunflower Seed Dukkah

Have you ever heard of Dukkah? If not, it’s time to change that! Dukkah is one of the loveliest and easy-to-make crunchy spice, nut, and seed blend, that makes everything taste better. Dukkah was born in Egypt and then made its way to the Middle Eastern countries, where became a beloved staple to this day. I became fascinated with this flavorful mix ever since I worked with a Middle Eastern chef who casually served it with some extra virgin olive oil and some pillowy soft flat bread. I was blown away both by the texture and flavor. I immediately realized that Dukkah is not just a perfect addition to any hors d’oeuvre, but also can be a great topping for roasted and fresh veggies, a lovely crust for meat and fish, and a splendid finishing touch for briny cheeses. This Slavic-Style Sunflower Seed Dukkah is my interpretation made with traditional Slavic ingredients – walnuts, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, etc. I love sprinkling it on top of roasted carrot or just eat with some skillet-fried flat bread.

How to make Dukkah?

Making Dukkah is incredibly easy and pretty fun. There are a bunch of traditional recipes all over the internet, but I’m advocating for making the bland to your taste. You just need to choose a handful of your favorite spices, nuts, and seeds and toast them in a dry skillet until fragrant and slightly golden. Then pulse the mix in a food processor or coffee grinder and your Dukkah is ready. Also, I always add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor and bring everything together. I store my Dukkah in an airtight container no more than 10 day. After that, i feel like flavors just slowly fade away. Since Dukkah is so easy to put together, it’s better to make it in small batches and use it fast.

Blending Dukkah is a great chance to get creative with flavors and texture. Think where you’d like to use it and choose the spices accordingly. If you envision it in seafood dishes, then maybe choose some dried herbs like mint or marjoram, or even dried lemon zest to add a touch of brightness. For meat, coriander, and cumin would work nicely, especially blended with some deeper flavor nuts like hazelnut.