Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Tags:

• Dukkah
• Egyptian Dip
• Appetizer
  
• Vegan Snacks
  
• Healthy Appetizers
  
• Middle Eastern Food
  

What is Dukkah?

Dukkah is a traditional Egyptian dish that has been enjoyed for centuries. The origins of the name "dukkah" aren't certain, but it is thought to come from the Arabic word "dukk," which means "to pound" or "to crush." This refers to the process of grinding the ingredients into a coarse powder, which is a key step in making dukkah.

Dukkah was traditionally made at home by grinding the ingredients together using a mortar and pestle. The ingredients used in dukkah can vary depending on the region and family traditions, but the most common ingredients include sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and hazelnuts or almonds.
​
As the popularity of Middle Eastern cuisine increased, dukkah has now become more widely known around the world, it can be found in different restaurants and even in supermarkets. Nowadays, it can be made in large quantities, with many variations and flavors.
Dukkah is a delicious and nutritious way to add flavor to your food, and its history is a window into the rich and vibrant culture of Egypt.

My Dukkah Recipe Notes

If Dukkah isn't on your radar, you must try it!  It's delicious and so simple. Dip bread (or veggies) in olive oil then into the nut and spice mixture....it's heaven. While my favourite way to eat it is with bread & olive oil, it's also delicious tossed into a salad or sprinkled on some hummus or a pile of your fav roasted vegetables for an added pop of flavour.  Feel free to experiment with your favourite combinations of nuts and seeds. As long as you season it with the coriander, cumin & salt it will undoubtedly be delicious. 

Recipe Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Keywords: Kimchi Fried Rice, Korean Vegan, Mushrooms, Tofu, BBQ

My Kimchi Fried Rice Recipe Notes

This is a quick meal I really enjoy making for myself. Sautéed mixed mushrooms and tofu, brown rice, kimchi, all tossed together with Korean BBQ sauce then garnished with scallions & black sesame seeds. I also use a bit of kala namak in this dish (It's a black salt high in sulpher that mimics the flavour of eggs. It's totally optional but I like to use it. Kimchi Fried rice is often served with a fried egg on top, so using a bit of kala namak is how I achieve the eggy flavour, without the egg!) 

Don't be afraid to use what you have on hand to make this a meal. No tofu? leave it out. Don't like mushrooms? Leave those out too. Add your fav protein instead.  I sometimes wilt in greens to my leftovers for the added nutritional boost. The kimchi has cabbage, carrot, daikon radish & green onion and the benefit is both that it is the vegetable component of this dish and adds a ton of delicious flavour. I used brown rice in this recipe, but I love white rice too. Use what you like best. 

Kimchi
I make kimchi at home because it can be pretty expensive to purchase. The great thing about making your own, is that you can make a big batch very inexpensively. My last bucket lasted almost a year. If you aren't familiar with it, Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish consisting of salted and fermented vegetables. It is a bit spicy from the korean chili powder. I really love it. If you don't want to make kimchi, you can definitely find it in many grocery stores, but if it is something you enjoy eating, you really need to give my recipe a shot. It's super good for you and is very simple, so really it is a win win. Buckets of delicious healthy kimchi on the cheap!!!

This is the Korean Chili Powder I buy for making kimchi. A big bag has lasted me a long long time. 

​Korean BBQ Sauce
The other main flavour component to this dish is Korean BBQ sauce. I make a batch of the BBQ sauce to keep in my fridge at all times. It is great for flavouring quick veggie rice dishes on the fly when you don't want to spend a lot of time on dinner. This Korean BBQ sauce is a thin sauce, almost like a vinaigrette really. I see many recipes that thicken Korean BBQ in a pan with cornstarch but I prefer it this way for my purposes. It packs a flavour punch. Use it in this recipe, then save the leftovers to drizzle wherever you want!! 

Kala Namak makes a big difference when making any variation of vegan fried rice. This is the product I bought and it lasts a long time, as a little goes a long way. It gives anything you sprinkle it on an "eggy" taste. You have to try it to believe it!

​Hey friends! This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Your support means a lot,  and I thank you!

It's October and I finally have time to start cooking for myself again after the busy tourism season. I have been dreaming about Kimchi for awhile. I think my new goal is to always have some on the go because it's simple, delicious, inexpensive, & the flavour improves the longer it hangs out. Kimchi is a Korean dish of fermented and salted vegetables. Hundreds of variations do exist but common ingredients include nappa cabbage, carrot, dikon radish, & scallions, which is what I use. The vegetables are typically seasoned with Korean chile powder (gochugaru, available at most global/Asian food markets) , ginger, garlic and some type of salted dried seafood. To keep mine vegan I replaced the seafood with some miso paste. I'm no expert when it comes to fermentation so if the entire process sketches you out probably do some research. I leave my Kimchi out for several days and then it lives in my fridge.  This is the process and recipe that works for me so I'm sticking to it. As far as what to eat your Kimchi with... the possibilities are endless. I eat it most often with rice, tofu, mushrooms & Korean BBQ sauce....but a simple Kimchi grilled cheeze is damn good too. Kimchi doughnuts or pancakes are definitely going to make an appearance soon too.  

 This is a loose recipe in the sense that I didn't measure or weigh everything out, and I'm cool with that. This batch might have a bit more carrot,  or be a bit more gingery etc. I find even though it isn't the exact same each time, the flavours always blend and evolve in a pleasing way... the Kimchi becomes it's own unique & delicious thing. You will need a few tbsp of flaked kosher salt for this recipe. I get mine in bulk and prefer it to table or fine salt in most recipes. 


Ingredients:

Veg

• 2 medium nappa cabbage, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 dikon radish, I cut it twice length wise giving me 4 long pieces and then cut into 1/8 inch thick slices (my radish was huge so didn't use whole thing...the nappa cabbage should be predominant vegetable) 
• 4 or 5 carrots, peeled and washed. Use peeler to make long carrot curls or cut into match sticks.
• 1 or 2 bunches of scallions, sliced diagonally

Seasoning

• 3/4 cup Korean Chile Powder
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 rounded tbsp miso paste
• thumb of ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic

​
Method:

1.  Wash cabbage. Cut into roughly 1 inch square chunks. No need to be exact here. 
2.  Get a giantttt mixing bowl and add washed and cut cabbage. Sprinkle liberally with a few tbsp of kosher salt. I sprinkle a little raw sugar in there too. 
3.  With clean hands begin massaging the salt into the cabbage. You keep working it until the cabbage softens and begins to release it's liquid. (somehow this is a really fun task)
4.  Now I cover with a dishcloth and let it sit overnight.
5.  Next day I rinse the cabbage right in the bowl. I don't have a big enough strainer so I just pour off as much liquid as I can. 
6.  Add all of your remaining veg to the bowl with the cabbage
7.  Use a food processor and blend together Korean chile powder, soy sauce, miso paste, ginger & garlic (you could do it by hand if you prefer)
8.  Now add your seasoning mixture to vegetables and using your hands (i wear gloves) massage mixture into vegetables until evenly coated. 
9.  Now I transfer the kimchi to a large clean plastic bucket  (i got it from my work) 
10.  I add a bit of water just so that all the vegetables are submerged in liquid
11.  Cover with the lid. Remove lid next day to release any gases. I repeat this process for a few days and then transfer to the fridge....but even if you don't leave it out for a long time, it's still delicious.