Tahini Sauce

Tahini sauce

Tahini sauce is a middle eastern recipe that can be used as a dip or a sauce. Tahini is a condiment made with toasted hulled sesame seeds. It can be found in any large supermarket and can be used to make many of the middle eastern appetizers especially hummus and baba ganoush, or falafel, that I have shared with you on my website.

Tahini is usually found in a jar. It is a thick seed paste covered with a layer of oil. I always keep tahini handy in my fridge to make sauces and dips because it is an important component in many middle eastern appetizers. It is important to always stir the tahini well to combine it with the oil before adding it to pureed eggplant or chickpeas for baba ganoush and hummus.

I have not tried tahini in baking. Tahini can be added to cakes, cookies, and brownies. It adds a mild nutty flavor and results in moist baked goods.

Typically, you will only need a couple of tablespoons to add to any of the recipes. It has a forceful, yet not overpowering flavor, and also adds a thick and creamy texture to the dips. You may have to thin the sauce with a little water or lemon to get the desired consistency for a salad dressing. I add a little honey or maple syrup to the sauce if the tahini tastes bitter.

Tahini, when mixed with other ingredients, such as herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil, can be used as a sauce or as a dip for fresh and roasted vegetables, and toasted pitas and flatbreads. Try stirring the tahini sauce into a bowl of cooked farro. I served my tahini sauce with a cruciferous crunch veggie slaw mixed with dried blueberries that I had purchased at Trader Joe’s.  The tahini sauced slaw was the perfect side with spicy grilled baby back pork ribs.

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