dukkah | TCS

Pistachio Dukkah makes everything better, seriously, I make a big batch and besides putting it on these awesome juicy chicken skewers, I put it on Avocado toast, Salads and any other kind of savory sandwich. It adds a nice spiced crunch with nuttiness that I just love. So make a double batch while you’re at it because it’s just great to have some on hand.
The other thing that makes these skewers so awesome is the Tahini marinade. Yes Tahini… so good.
Tahini, with garlic and lemon juice, oregano and yoghurt. So simple and yet so full of flavour. I think we’ll be eating this a lot.
Za’atar is a middle eastern spice mix of fresh thyme, sesame seeds, sumac and salt. It’s also delicious to dip bread in olive oil first and then Za’atar as a snack.

________________________________________
Prep time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4
________________________________________

INGREDIENTS:

For the Chicken:
• 3 large skinless Chicken breasts or 4 small ones, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp. Tahini paste
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp. plain yoghurt

For the Pistachio Dukkah:

• 1/2 cup Pistachios, shelled
• 3 tbsp. Sesame Seed s
• 3 tbsp. Coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper,
• olive oil for drizzling

For the Za’atar Yoghurt Dip:

• 1 cup plain Yoghurt
• 2 tsp. Za’atar
• a drizzle of olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

To marinated the chicken, place tahini paste, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic and yoghurt in a bowl. Mix with a spoon and add the chicken cubes. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least a few hours an preferably over night.
Pre-soak wooden skewers in warm water for 20 minutes.
Pre heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F
To make the Pistachio Dukkah, get out a frying pan and place over medium heat. Toast the sesame seeds, coriander seeds and cumin for a minute or two stirring constantly and until fragrant. Remove to a plate and let cool.
Meanwhile, tip the pistachios into a small food processor and blitz until finely chopped, but still with some texture, add the toasted seeds and spices into the processor and blitz again until finely chopped. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Yoghurt dip by simply mixing the ingredients, place in a bowl until ready to serve. Sprinkle with some pomegranate seeds if you like.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers and sprinkle generously with the Pistachio Dukkah, pressing it in with your fingers.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Spry with some oil. Cook the chicken skewers , turning regularly to prevent burning. When nicely charred, but not cooked through, transfer to a lined baking tray. When all the chicken skewers are browned, drizzle them with some more olive oil. Pop the chicken into the oven for about 5-10 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Serve the skewers with the Za’atar yoghurt dip and some more Dukkah.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

This is such an easy recipe! No fancy equipment, no massive amounts of dirty dishes afterwards, just a baking tray, some foil and you’re good to go. Ah, and there’s the Dukkah of course…

Let me tell you a little something about Dukkah. Don’t you love that word?

Dukkah is a middle eastern condiment. The word Dukkah (pronounced DOO-kah) actually means “to pound”. Herbs and nuts are pound together to form a crumbly substance that is neither a paste nor a powder. It’s mostly eaten as an appetizer. Flatbread is torn into pieces, dipped in olive oil and then dipped in Dukkah. I don’t pound my Dukkah but pulse it in the food processor until rough crumbs.

There are many variations of Dukkah and the composition varies from family to family in the middle east though there are common ingredients, such as sesame , coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. But you can add anything you like really like Nigella or za’atar. And instead of hazelnuts you can use any nut or seed, maybe pine nuts or pistachios. It depends what you’re paring it with so go with the flow. You are going to have some left over Dukkah, just store in an airtight container. It will keep for weeks. Why not try it as an appetizer with olive oil and bread?

Serves 4 – 6

Dukkah Ingredients;

1 cups Hazelnuts
1 cup Sesame Seed
2 tablespoons ground Coriander
2 tablespoons ground Cumin
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Himalayan Salt
2 tsp. Black Pepper, Ground

Method;

Toast the hazelnut over medium heat for about five minutes keeping a close watch on them because they burn very quickly. Keep tossing them around. Add the sesame seeds and toast for an other two minutes until you hear a popping sound. Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Keep tossing a few times more to mix well. Let cool completely. Put the mixture in a food processor and pulse until medium crumbs. Store in a mason jar.

Ingredients Salmon Fillet and baby potatoes;

2 lbs Salmon fillet, skin removed
3 tbsp. Dukkah
1/2 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. Light Olive Oil

Baby potatoes;

1 lb. peeled and pre cooked baby potatoes
1 tbsp. Light Olive Oil
1 tsp. smoked paprika,
1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
salt and pepper

Cucumber – Pomegranate Salad;

1 Cucumber, organic preferably
1 tbsp. Light Olive Oil
2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 C. Pomegranate seeds, fresh or frozen
1 – tbsp. Fresh Dill sprigs

Method;

Preheat the oven to 430° F

Get out a baking tray and line with parchment paper. Now get a piece of aluminum foil large enough for the whole fillet to sit on. Lay it out on the tray diagonally and cover with an other piece of parchment paper. Spray with some cooking oil and place the fillet on top with the dark side down (where the skin was).

Brush the Salmon fillet with the olive oil.

In a small bowl mix the Dukkah with the Parmesan cheese. Cover the entire surface of the fillet with the mixture and press it on with your fingers.

To prepare the baby potatoes, toss all the ingredients in a bowl and spread out along the sides of the salmon fillet.

Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the cucumber salad.

To make the salad, peel the cucumber leaving on some of the green for color. Slice thin with a mandolin. Place in a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.