Tahini Sauce

Tahini or tahina is one of the oldest condiments in the world. It is made from toasted ground hulled sesame, basically a sesame paste.

Tahini-based sauces are common in Middle Eastern restaurants as a side dish or as a garnish. It is served by itself or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva.

Various types

There is a basic recipe for tahini, but many interpretations.

For example, in addition to the basic ingredients, you can add herbs or various vegetables to the mixture. Tahini can be more liquid or thicker, depending on your preference.

My wife also mixes the sesame paste with honey, so you get the sweet version.

The tahini paste

There are a lot of Tahini pastes to buy out there.

According to my experience, Tahini pastes from Arab countries or Israel are more tasteful than those from Turkey. But this can only be due to the fact that I still havent't found the right paste.

In many health stores there are also local pastes available. These are not bad, but in my opinion they have less zing.

Ingredients

200g tahini paste

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

a pinch of salt

200 ml cold water (approx.)

Preparation

First, marinate the garlic in lemon juice for 10 minutes. The acidity of the lemon juice prevents the garlic from becoming too harsh.

You can strain the garlic out of the lemon juice if you want, The Tahini gets more smooth.

Stir in tahini, salt and cumin.

Add cold water until the mixture is gloriously smooth and creamy. When you add the tahini to the bowl, it will seize up. It loosens with the addition of sufficient amounts of water.

Adjust to taste, if necessary. Add more water for a thinner consistency, more salt for more overall flavor, and/or more lemon juice for more zing.