This Egyptian spice-and-nut blend is one of those pantry staples that quietly transforms everything it touches — crusty bread dipped in olive oil, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, even a soft-boiled egg. The toasty, nutty crunch comes entirely from hazelnuts, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, and black pepper, which means every single ingredient is naturally free of iodine-heavy additions like iodized salt or seafood-derived seasonings. The recipe specifically calls for flaky sea salt, which is the go-to swap when you need to keep iodine intake in check without sacrificing flavor. Each component gets individually toasted to coax out maximum depth before everything is pulsed together into that signature coarse, sandy texture — fragrant, warm, and deeply savory. Keeping it chunky rather than blended into a paste is the whole point, so short pulses in the food processor are key. A jar of this keeps for weeks on the counter or a full month in the fridge, making it an effortless way to add bold flavor to low-iodine meals without reaching for anything processed or pre-seasoned.
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Spread the hazelnuts on a dry baking sheet and toast in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10–12 minutes, until the skins are cracked and the nuts are deep golden beneath the skin.
Transfer the hot hazelnuts to a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel over them, and rub vigorously for about 1 minute to remove as much of the papery skin as possible. Let the nuts cool for 5 minutes.
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