Prep time 10 min
Tahini is a condiment made from toasted sesame seeds and has for centuries found a place front center at banquets and street food throughout the Middle East.
Not surprising given its rich nutty taste and flexibility. It is served as a dip on its own or as a major component of hummus and baba ghanoush. It is also often as a sauce for chicken or fish and as a dressing on vegetables, salads or a kofta sandwich.
The base recipe is quite simple and the variations are endless both in terms of consistency and the amount of garlic and lemon juice you add. That is entirely up to your taste. If you are planning to cover a baked fish use a thicker consistency so that it does not run off. If you are using it as a sauce on poultry, fish or vegetables add a little more water to get to honey consistency. If you are using it to dress a salad, dilute it even furthet so it blends in with the other ingredients.
Tahini Sauce
by
Derek Farwagi
Equipment
- A small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp sesame tahini paste
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2-3 tbs water (or more depending on how thick you want it to be – as a vegetable or salad dressing you may want it a little runnier than if you are serving it as a sauce or dip but it is all a matter of personal taste).
- 1 crushed garlic clove (If you are serving Tahini sauce with a fish dish, you may want to leave out the crushed garlic to avoid overpowering the subtle taste of the fish.)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix 4 tablespoons of tahini paste with the lemon juice. It will start to thicken.
- Gradually add the water till you have the consistency of thick honey. (Add a little more water if you are using it as a sauce on poultry, fish or vegetables. SEE RECIPE NOTES BELOW)
- Mix in the crushed garlic and salt to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Variations
Now comes the fun part. You can pretty much add any spice you want to the base. Traditionaly a pinch of either cumin, Aleppo pepper or mint is used and for a creamier taste add a little greek yoghurt. For a real twist add a teaspoon of Zaatar or Dukkha.
If you are serving it to dress vegetables, you can flavor the tahini with oregano or cilantro like in this recipe for brocoli with a lemony tahini.
Tahini can also be served with meat and poultry like in these recipes for turkey kofta meat balls , lamb chops or poached chicken breast.
With fish, it pairs well with seared cod or as dressing for whole baked fish and Sayadieh. For a vegetarian option, try this Medititerranean Chicken Tahini Bowl.
For two servings of sauce you can add a tbsp each of finely chopped parsley, cilantro and mint to the mix and serve it as a green tahini sauce to flavor dishes like this grilled eggplant salad.
Jacquie Wise
Delightfully delicate and so versatile! Thank you!
Derek Farwagi
I put it on fish, poultry salads, vegetables and pretty much everything else!