Dukkah and Gomasio are Great Meal Prep

Meal prep is the key to eating well. Even if you don’t have an organized meal prepping lifestyle, you can pick a few easy things to keep on hand that will make your life so much easier and more delicious. With a minimal investment of time, you can make Dukkah and Gomasio, and elevate the simplest of meals with a sprinkle.

Each of these nutty condiments is from a different part of the world, but they have much in common. The process is essentially the same, as you can see in my video. Toasted nuts and seeds are coarsely ground, with seasonings, then used as a topping or dip. When you eat plant based foods, nuts and seeds are a nutrient-dense, protein packed way to add crunch and flavor to meals.

The next time you are staring into the refrigerator and wondering what to eat, you’ll be able to make a bowl of leftover grains or a hunk of bread, and a few vegetables into a truly tasty meal, with either of these flavor bombs on hand.

What is Dukkah?

Dukkah
Nutty Dukkah with Flatbreads and Olive oil

Dukkah originated in Egypt, and the word itself translates to “pounded.” Clever cooks in the Middle East devised a method of putting nuts and toasted spices in a mortar and crushing them by hand, then used it as a dip with bread, vegetables, and olive oil. There are many variations, although hazelnuts. cumin, coriander and black pepper are most common. Every cook customizes her own version, and other ingredients, like sesame, pistachio, marjoram, mint or chilis in the mix.

What About Gomasio?

gomasio over black rice
Gomasio over Black Rice

In Japan, a different mortar and pestle is employed to grind freshly toasted sesame seeds with salt. I first encountered gomasio in macrobiotic and vegetarian restaurants, where we seasoned our plain bowls of brown rice and veggies with the toasty sprinkle. If you are trying to cut back on salt, gomasio is a great way to add a little salt and a ton of flavor.

In this gomasio recipe, I added a couple of other seeds to the mix, just for fun. Chia and hemp seeds are superfoods, and I’m always looking for tasty ways to add them to my diet. The prevailing flavor is toasty sesame.

Save Your Arm, Go Electric

I skipped the mortar and pestle and used my spice grinder, to save time. You can use a blender or food processor, whatever you have in your kitchen. Just make sure that you pulse on and off, and don’t make nut butter. The texture should be crunchy, not powdery. You might want to grind your ingredients in batches, making some finer and some coarser, so the mix has lots of variety.

Save Dinner, Make Dukkah and Gomasio

Once you have these made, just store them in a jar in the refrigerator. They keep for a couple of months, if they last that long. Whether you sprinkle dukkah on a salad, or a bowl of hummus, you’ll be so glad you have it. Gomasio makes its way onto everything from a bowl of quinoa to a toasted bagel at my house. I know it will make your life more delicious, too!

Dukkah

Nuts and spices make a fantastic dip or sprinkle for all sorts of foods.
Course Condiment
Keyword condiments, dukkah
Author Robin Asbell

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1/4 cup raw, shelled sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
  • Spread the pistachios, sunflower seeds, and whole spices on a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
  • When the hazelnuts are toasted, transfer them to a fluffy kitchen towel, fold the towel over the nuts and rub to remove the skins. Pick out the nuts and discard the skins.
  • In a spice grinder, blender or food processor, pulse small handfuls of the nuts and seeds to make both fine and coarse textures. Mix in a medium bowl.
  • Add the paprika and salt and mix. Cool completely before transferring to a jar or storage tub.

Mixed Seed Gomasio

Course Condiment
Keyword chia seeds, plant based recipes
Author Robin Asbell

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup brown sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt

Instructions

  • Place the sesame seeds in a small saute pan and place over medium-high heat. Swirl and stir until the seeds smell toasty and look oily. Transfer to the grinder and grind to a powder, stop before it becomes tahini.
  • Coarsely grind the chia and hemp, just barely pulse to crack. Add to the sesame and add the salt, stir to mix.
  • Cool completely before transferring to a jar or storage tub. Store in the refrigerator.