Tahini

A paste made from ground sesame seeds, Tahini or sesame paste is sold in all Eastern countries. It is quite thick, greasy, and oily. Pure Tahini serves as a base and the main raw material for preparing various sauces that season national dishes. Tahini can be made at home. By following our recipe, you will make classic sesame paste Tahini.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 5 servings (150 grams of paste).

Calories: 457 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Israeli.

Ingredients

• sesame seeds – 150 g;
• olive oil – 2 tsp;
• salt – to taste.

Preparation

1. Prepare the ingredients.

2. The sesame seeds need to be toasted in a pan or in the oven. The degree of heat and toasting time do not matter, the main thing is to watch that the seeds do not burn (and this can happen very quickly).

3. Therefore, it is necessary to stay at the stove and, while stirring constantly, watch the color of the sesame seeds – as soon as they darken a bit, remove them from the heat.

4. Transfer the seeds to another container so they cool down faster.

5. Then place the sesame seeds in any chopper (grinder) and start the grinding process.

6. Periodically, you need to open the chopper's lid and scrape off the seeds that stick to the walls and have slightly opened, oiled seeds. Grinding is not a quick process; it all depends on the power of the grinder. However, it will take at least 20 minutes, and the machine needs to be given a break (it will overheat from such a load).

7. To make the machine's job easier, add olive oil to the thickening mass.

8. Over time, the paste will acquire plasticity and can be shaped into a ball. But – this is still not the end of the process.

9. Grinding should continue until the sesame seeds acquire the consistency of thick sour cream.

10. This will be true tahini. Transfer it to a suitable container and use it as a base for sauces, as in its pure form it has a very rich taste and is slightly bitter.

11. For the sauce, salt the paste to taste.

12. Add lemon juice (the amount also depends on individual preferences).

13. Squeeze in some garlic. Mix everything, taste the sauce, and adjust it to your liking. If a more liquid mass is needed, dilute the resulting mixture with cold water to the desired consistency and mix thoroughly.

To such dishes as hummus, kebabs, tahini is always served. It is used to season grilled meat, fish, and is simply spread on crackers or toast. The paste made from sesame seeds is dipped in dried dates, apricots, and is definitely washed down with green tea.