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Crispy Dukkah Potatoes with Aioli and Pink Tahini Sauce

Aug 16, 2022 | 1 comment

If you think roast potatoes are good, you’re going to LOVE these crispy dukkah potatoes. Piled on top of creamy garlic aioli and drizzled with a super gorgeous pink tahini sauce, they’re fragrant, delicious and seriously addictive.

Crispy dukkah potatoes on a bed of aioli with thyme and pink tahini scattered on top.

Love is a big plate of crispy potatoes, am I right? And if you’re looking to jazz up your roast potatoes, this is the best way to do it. Not only is it seriously delicious, but it’s also beautiful to look at (those colours!) and is much easier than you might think. It uses my favourite technique for getting the best crispy potatoes, with a couple of flavour-packed twists.

Once you’re dipping a fragrantly crusted, pink tahini sauce drizzled, crispy wedge into that super garlicky aioli base, you’ll wonder why you ever eat potatoes any other way.

Ingredients

There aren’t too many ingredients that go into this impressive dish – and everything is nice and easy to find!

  • Potatoes. You want a fluffy, starchy potato here that will give you the gloriously soft and buttery centre. I’m using Maris piper potatoes, but you can use Yukon gold, King Edward or any variety that’s labelled as being good for roasting.
  • Dukkah. This nutty and fragrant Egyptian spice blend makes both a delicious crust and a super tasty layer of seasoning on these potatoes, and they’re really the star of the show. You can find this pretty easily now in supermarkets, or you could make my easy dukkah recipe. It lasts ages and is fab to have on hand to jazz up any dish!
  • Cooked beetroot. We’re keeping things simple by using the handy ready-to-eat beetroot you can easily find at the store. Go for one that’s not sitting in vinegar if possible, or your sauce will be a little too acidic.
  • Tahini. Go for a brand that’s produced in Israel, Lebanon or Palestine for the best flavour and consistency. I like using the tahini from Belazu, Al Yaman or Al Nakhil.
  • Aioli. If you can’t find aioli, add 2 crushed garlic cloves to 1/2 cup mayo. You could also use a thick Greek yogurt or labneh if you’re not a mayo fan.

You’ll also need a blender or food processor to make the pink tahini sauce.

MAKE IT VEGAN: Use a vegan aioli or mayo! This is a good time to try my recipe for easy vegan garlic aioli.

How to make it

Start by chopping your potatoes into large chunks then get them into a large pot with a little salt. Cover them with cold water, then cook on the stovetop for about 5 minutes.

Here comes the special part! Often when I make crispy potatoes with this technique, I’ll toss them in polenta to help them get that lovely crispy crust. In this recipe, dukkah is front and centre and acts as the polenta. This makes them extra special in two ways – first, like polenta, it helps create that lovely crunch. And second, it provides another delicious layer of flavour.

All you need to do is scatter over the dukkah and give the pot a good shake to coat the potatoes. Then, once the oil is nice and hot, transfer them to the dish and pop it in the oven. They’ll need 45 minutes to cook – give them a couple of stirs throughout that time.

While the potatoes cook, make the pink tahini. The COLOUR of this is unbeatable! And it’s super simple. First, add chopped cooked beetroot into the bowl of your blender or food processor along with lemon juice, salt and water and blitz into a paste. Then just add the tahini and blitz again until smooth and creamy.

Once the potatoes are looking super golden and when you scrape them with a spoon they make a VERY satisfying tapping sound, they’re good to go. Smooth the aioli onto the base of a serving plate, then pile on the potatoes. Finish with little dollops of pink tahini and thyme leaves.

Crispy dukkah potatoes on a white plate with a gold spoon, with thyme and pink tahini on top.

Got a question?

Can I make this in advance?

You can prepare the separate elements in advance – the pink tahini sauce can be made 3 days ahead of time, as can the aioli (if you’re using my egg-free aioli recipe, it’ll last for 3 weeks!) You can either par-boil the potatoes up to 1 day in advance, and then just cook them when you’re ready, or you can cook the potatoes and then reheat them in the oven at 360F/180C fan in a foil-covered dish or tray for 20 minutes.

Reheating them in this way means they won’t be as crispy, but they’ll still be delicious!

I don’t like beetroot – can I still make the recipe?

You can just leave out the beetroot and enjoy the potatoes with a classic tahini sauce (try my easy tahini yogurt sauce or green tahini sauce). It’ll still taste great, it just won’t have the gorgeous pink colour!

I can’t find dukkah – can I use anything else?

Try using sesame seeds and a little flaky salt if you can’t find dukkah.

Like this recipe? Here are some of my other favourite potato recipes

If you make this recipe let me know in the comments below! I love hearing how you get on with my creations.

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Crispy dukkah potatoes on a bed of aioli with thyme and pink tahini scattered on top.

Crispy Dukkah Potatoes with Aioli and Pink Tahini Sauce


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 side servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

If you think roast potatoes are good, you’re going to LOVE these crispy dukkah potatoes. Piled on top of creamy garlic aioli and drizzled with a super gorgeous pink tahini sauce, they’re fragrant, delicious and seriously moreish.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the potatoes –

  • 2lb/1kg potatoes (Maris Piper, King Edward, Agria, Yukon gold or similar roasting potato)
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1/4 cup light olive oil (or sunflower or rapeseed oil)
  • 1 tablespoon dukkah
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

For the pink tahini –

  • 2 cooked beetroot (roughly 2oz/60g)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup water water
  • 1/2 cup tahini

To serve – 

Essential equipment – 

Food processor or blender (for the pink tahini sauce)


Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil. The secret to super crispy potatoes is HOT oil. That means you want to start by pouring ¼ cup of olive oil into the dish you’ll be cooking your potatoes in, and popping it into the oven at 480F/250C fan. Let the oil heat for at least 30 minutes before you add the potatoes.
  2. Par-boil the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into large wedges, then get them and 2 tablespoons of salt into a large pot. Cover with cold water then place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 5 minutes until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Drain them in a colander, then pop back into the empty, dry pot. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of dukkah, and give the pot a good shake to coat the potatoes and fluff them up. The dukkah will stick to all the fluffy bits on the outside of the potatoes and form a delicious, crispy crust.
  3. Roast the potatoes. Once the oven is super hot and has been heating for at least 30 minutes, remove the dish or tray from the oven and CAREFULLY pour the dukkah-crusted potatoes in. They’ll splatter and sizzle (very satisfying!) when they’re added, so be careful you don’t get flicked with hot oil. Roast them for 45 minutes, giving them a couple of tosses throughout the cooking time.
  4. Make the pink tahini. I like to do this while the potatoes are cooking to maximise time. Chop the cooked beetroot into rough chunks, and add to the bowl of your food processor or blender along with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the water. Blitz to combine into a deep pink puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the tahini and blitz until pink and creamy. Set aside. PRO TIP: If you find the tahini is too thick for your liking, drizzle in a little water. Likewise, if it’s a bit runny, add a little more tahini. It will firm up as it sits too.
  5. Garnish and serve. Once the potatoes look golden and crispy on the outside, remove them from the oven and scatter 2 teaspoons of flaky salt on top. Give them a good toss. Smooth the ½ cup of aioli onto a serving plate, top with the potatoes, then drizzle over the pink tahini and finish with the thyme leaves.

Notes

PREP AHEAD: The pink tahini sauce can be made 3 days ahead of time, as can the aioli (if you’re using my vegan aioli recipe, it’ll last for 3 weeks!) You can either par-boil the potatoes up to 1 day in advance, and then just cook them when you’re ready, or you can cook the potatoes and then reheat them in the oven at 360F /180C in a foil-covered dish or tray for 20 minutes.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Use thick Greek yogurt or labneh in place of the aioli, and you can leave the beetroot out of the tahini sauce if you’re not a fan or you don’t have any. You could make this delicious tahini yogurt sauce or green tahini sauce in its place. If you can’t find dukkah, use sesame seeds and a little flaky salt in its place. 

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: The recipe makes more pink tahini sauce that you’ll need for drizzling, but you can use it as a gorgeous sauce with loads of different things – try spooning it over roasted veggies, chicken or barbecued steak. I’ve also used it on toast with tomatoes and feta for a colourful bruschetta! 

  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 50
  • Category: sides
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 200g

Keywords: crispy potatoes, potato wedges, dukkah wedges, pink sauce, spiced wedges

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

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1 Comment

  1. Sam

    Love the colours, need to make this

    Reply

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