Pistachio dukka
This traditional Persian combination of nuts, seeds and spices is usually served in a small dish, alongside a bowl of olive oil. You dip a piece of bread in the oil, then into the dukka, capturing every last, delicious crumb. I sometimes use rapeseed oil for a change. Dukka has other uses too – try scattering it over grilled vegetables, or over a simple salad of lettuce and soft, hard-boiled eggs. If you can only find roasted, salted pistachios, skip the roasting bit and perhaps rub off some of the salt. And you can use other nuts – almonds and cashews are particularly good.
Ingredients
Makes 125g
- 120g shelled, unsalted pistachios
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- A good sprig of mint, leaves only, chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Scatter the pistachio kernels on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 5 minutes, until just starting to turn golden. Cool, then chop them roughly.
In a small pan over a medium heat, warm the cumin and coriander seeds until they begin to release their aroma. Transfer to a mortar and bash with the pestle until broken up, but not too fine. In the same pan, lightly toast the sesame seeds.
Add the roughly chopped nuts to the mortar, and bash until they are broken up into smallish pieces. Stir in the sesame seeds, mint if using, chilli flakes and salt and transfer to a serving bowl.
The dukka will keep for a couple of weeks in a screw-topped jar.