Duqqa: Easy to Make, Delicious to Serve

Have you ever heard of duqqa? No, it’s not a new-fangled dance or the latest fashion statement. Duqqa is a tasty, savoury mixture of seeds, nuts and spices. Originally a traditional Middle Eastern recipe, it is now popular in other parts of the world like Australia and New Zealand. Although it can be purchased pre-mixed, it is very easily and satisfying to make on your own.

When you make your own duqqa, you can personalize the mixture to suit your own taste, tweaking the traditional recipe up or down to suit your own personal tastes and preferences. Once you get a handle on the traditional way to make it, you can even experiment by adding new, less-traditional ingredients to make your own trademark combination.

A general guideline for making traditional duqqa might look something like this: 1 nuts (hazelnuts or pistachios are very popular), 1 cup shelled nuts (such as almonds), 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, some sesame seeds (about ¼ cup), red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, coarse salt and some black peppercorns. You may also want to substitute macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts or another nut or seed to personalize your mixture.

If you buy nuts that are not toasted, simply toast them in a hot (400 degreeF or thereabouts) oven for about 10 minutes, but always remember to keep an eye on them because nuts can burn very easily.

Next, toast the seeds and spices for about 5 minutes, also in a hot oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a food processor, or mortar and pestle if you want to be really traditional, ground the nuts until you reach the consistency of fine breadcrumbs, but stop before you reach a paste. Then, grind the seeds and red pepper flakes.

Combine the nuts, seeds, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Taste the mixture and decide whether you need to adjust the spices. Duqqa should be stored covered in the refrigerator.

Once you’ve got your batch of duqqa made, you can use it in a number ways. The most popular way to use it is to first dip cubes of good-quality bread into olive oil and then into duqqa, and enjoy it as a snack.

Around the world, spice mixtures are created to both streamline and define their culture’s traditional flavours. Duqqa is a prime example of that. It is used all over the Middle East and is a part of nearly every Middle Eastern household’s culinary heritage. In Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, duqqa is served from street vendors, and it is also very popular in New Zealand and Australia. But the fact that duqqa comes from another region’s cuisine shouldn’t stop you from using it in your everyday cooking, no matter where you are located. In fact, using mixes like duqqa can be a great introduction into new cuisines without a lot of investment of time or money.

Written by Robin MacDonald of Culinary Nook.  Culinary Nook are an Australian producer of gourmet oils and seasonings.  Visit them at www.culinarynook.com.au to find out more.

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