Hazelnut Cumin Dukkah

You can make dukkah with any of your favourite nuts and spices, but hazelnut and cumin is my all time favourite.

½ cup hazelnuts

1 cup almonds

2 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 ½ tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp sesame seeds

1 tsp flaky salt

Preheat oven to 180oC. Spread hazelnuts on one baking tray and almonds and cumin, coriander, fennel and sesame seeds on another tray and roast both until nuts and seeds are golden and fragrant (about 10 mins). Cool.

Tip the roasted hazelnuts onto a clean tea towel and rub gently to loosen most of the skins (you don’t have to get rid of all of them but they can be quite bitter).  Discard the skins then tip the hazelnuts into a food processor with the other nuts and seeds and the salt.  Pulse several times until they form fine crumbs.  I like my dukkah to be chunkier so stop before it gets to that stage.

Store in airtight containers – lasts for weeks.

Most people associate dukkah with bread and olive oil but don’t realise that it has a multitude of other uses.  I like to sprinkle it over vegetables, a stir-fry and on top of soup.  I’ve even put it over nectarines with lime syrup and yoghurt – it gave a wonderful contrast in both flavour and texture.