Pre-heat the oven to approximately 180 C/360 F fan forced. Toast the nuts for approximately 5 minutes, taking care not to brown them too much. Rub the skin off hazelnuts after baking if you use them in your mix. Pulse the nuts in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
Heat a frying pan on the stove top on medium heat and toast the sesame seeds for a couple of minutes. Add them to the nut mixture. Add the cumin, coriander and fennel seeds to the frying pan and toast over a medium heat for a few minutes taking care not to brown too quickly nor too much, until the spices become aromatic.
Using a mortar and pestle, pound the toasted spices until crushed. Add the spices and remaining flavorings to the nut mix, and blend well.
Variations
Healthy option (pictured)- Add 1/3 cup sunflower seeds and 1/3 cup pepita seeds in place of 2/3 of a cup of nuts. Toast them with the nuts and pulse them in a food processor when pulsing the nuts. Note that almonds were used in the Dukkah pictured.
Cut back on or don't use any fennel if you want to add different herbs and spices for variation, only because it has such a distinctive aniseed taste.
Try adding 1 tspn of either sumac, thyme, red pepper flakes, or mint or for a spicy Dukkah, add ¼ tspn cayenne powder (take care as can be very spicy) or ½ to 1 tspn chilli powder/flakes.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.