When I applied to residency, I made dukkah for one of my mentors – the inimitable Rob Lowe – with whom I have shared countless conversations on such things as medicine, philosophy, and, yes, food. To thank him for the veritable compendium of wisdom he has given me over the past three years, I made him a small bag of mixed nuts. Really good mixed nuts.
Dukkah is a Middle Eastern blend of spices, nuts, and sometimes dried herbs that is pounded until relatively somewhat course. The first time I tasted dukkah was at the always-masterful Sarma in Winter Hill when I was living in Somerville, MA. It was paired with fresh seasonal vegetables and some kind of acidic vinaigrette. The flavor of the dish balanced the mature, nutty, savory notes of the topping with the acerbic freshness of the vegetables while adding a much-needed texture contrast. When I came home craving the same wonderfully balanced plate of fresh veggies, I tried my hand at creating a more coarse rendering of dukkah that would serve as more of a salad topping than standalone dish.
There are a few speciality, non-negotiable ingredients which I recommend. First is whole nigella seeds or “black carraway.” While it is not a common pantry ingredient in the Indian kitchens I grew up in, it lends a distinct onion-ey, smokey toasted flavor. Second is whole cumin seed. I need not espouse the virtues cumin’s earthy, warm flavors here. Needless to say: it is an essential component of this version of dukkah.
As for other ingredients, I prefer sweetening my dukkah with palm sugar, which I usually pick up from my local Thai market. This can be a helpful way of further emphasizing the savory notes of the final preparation, but a similar effect can be achieved with mixing brown sugar with a bit of neutral oil. Beyond this, the possibilities are really endless. You can add ground kashimiri chili peppers for heat, dried urfa pepper for smokiness, fennel seed for more earthy notes, or dried barberries for acid.
Ingredients
Up to 1 cup of nuts (peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, and almonds also work great here, though be mindful that your nut of choice should have a reasonable fat content; these can also be mixed)
2 tbsp nigella seed (also called kalonji)
2 tbsp cumin seed
1 tbsp palm sugar or 2 tsp brown sugar
Neutral oil (avocado, safflower, or canola is fine)
1 Persian, Japanese, or English cucumber, chopped evenly.
Juice of 1 lemon
Approximately 1 tbsp finely minced shallot (white onion or garlic also works great)
Extra virgin olive oil
Feta cheese
Kosher salt to taste
Recipe
For the cucumbers and lemon vinaigrette
In a large mixing bowl, combine approximately 1 tbsp of kosher salt and cucumbers. Mix thoroughly with your hands.
In a small tupperwarer, add the finely minced shallot to the lemon juice. Ensure that the juice fully covers the minced shallot.
Let the cucumber and the lemon-shallot mixture sit for approximately 15 minutes.
For the dukkah
In a dry nonstick pan, add approximately 2 tbsp of neutral oil to 1/2 to 1 cup of nuts. Set pan to medium-high heat and stir until barely browned and fragrant, mixing frequently.
Once the nuts begin to change color, add nigella and cumin seed directly to the pan. Mix and toast until fragrant.
Once the nuts become a cafe-au-lait color, add palm sugar or brown sugar to the pan and turn off the heat. Mix until sugar dissolves in the oil.
Once cooled slightly, add the contents of the pan to a mortar and pestle or molchajete. Begin to coarsely pound the dukkah, adding salt intermittently to taste. Once the dukkah reaches its desired texture (I am for a chunky, mixed-nut type of texture), set aside.
For the salad
Add an equal volume of olive oil to the tupperware of shallots and lemon juice. Cover and shake vigorously to mix until well combined.
Drain the chopped cucumbers of their leftover liquid and combine with feta cheese and whatever other vegetables you enjoy.
Dress the salad with the newly mixed vinaigrette and serve, topped with dukkah.