[Sca-cooks] Dukkah

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

This came up a few weeks ago and i forgot to send it...

Dukkah - alternate spellings include: dukkah, dukka, dokka, duqqa -
is an Egyptian mix usually used by dipping bread or vegetables into
olive oil then into the dukkah. It can also be a table condiment,
sprinkled over meats and vegetables.

It can be traced back at least as far as the early 19th century,
since it's mentioned in Edward Lane's book "The Manners and Customs
of the Modern Egyptians", originally published in 1860 - Lane had
lived there a couple decades earlier. BTW Lane also wrote cultural
footnotes to his 1883 translation of "The Thousand and One Arabian
Nights". These have been published separately as "Arabian Society in
the Middle Ages: Studies from the Thousand and One Arabian Nights".

Dukkah could have existed earlier, but i haven't seen a recipe or a
reference...

And there's no one right, true, and only way to make it. Here are two
recipe variations...

--------------

 From Claudia Roden, "A Book of Middle Eastern Food" (the old one)

Anahita sez: this is what i made, although i only made about 1/4 of a
recipe. Personally, I would add more hazel nuts, at least to equal
the coriander seed, cuz i rillly like the taste of the hazelnuts and
the spices.

1 lb sesame seed
8 oz coriander seed
4 oz hazelnuts
4 oz ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. Roast or grill the ingredients separately.

2. Pound them together until finely crushed but not pulverized. If
using a blender run it for
a very short time only or the oil from the nuts will form a paste.
Dukkah should always be a crushed dry mixture not a paste.

3. This makes a great deal but can be stored for many weeks in covered jars.

--------------

 From Jill Norman, "The Complete Book of Spices"

i've rewritten the directions a bit to make them clearer...

125 grams / 4 oz sesame seeds
75 grams / 3 oz hazelnuts (or roasted chick peas from a Near Eastern market)
50 grams / 2 oz coriander seeds
25 grams / 1 oz cumin seeds
1 tsp zaatar herb - substitute thyme or a blend of thyme and marjoram
1 tsp salt
1/2  tsp black peppercorns

1. Dry roast sesame seeds in a skillet (i.e., no oil in the pan) over
a medium fire, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Remove from
pan and cool.

2. Dry roast  the hazelnuts in the skillet, stirring constantly, or
on a baking sheet in an oven at 325 degrees Farenheit until just
colored. Remove from pan and cool.

Obviously, if you're using roasted chick peas, they do not need to be roasted.

3. Remove hazelnut skins by gently rubbing between the palms of the
hands after they are cool enough to handle.

4. Dry roast coriander seeds in skillet until they just begin to
darken. Be careful not to over-cook. Remove from pan and cool.

5. Dry roast cumin seeds until they just begin to darken. Be careful
not to over-cook. Remove from pan and cool.

6. When everything has cooled, combine all the ingredients and pound
in mortar with pestle or grind in blender or food processor until you
have a coarse  powder - the name comes from an Arabic root meaning to
pound. You don't want a fine powder, you want something with some
chunks in it.

7. Store in an airtight jar in a cool dark place when not in use.

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