How to Flavor Foods With Tahini
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. The seeds are crushed and soaked in salt water to remove the hulls and then lightly roasted. The hulled seeds are then ground to an oily paste. Tahini that is a light ivory is considered to have the best flavor. It may be used fresh or dehydrated and is a major ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. Here's how to flavor foods with tahini.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
-
-
1
Add tahini to mashed chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice to make hummus. Tahini is also frequently added to Baba ghanoush, which is made of pureed eggplant, garlic, lemon juice and oil.
-
2
Thin tahini with water and add garlic, lemon juice and salt to make taratoor. This use is common in Arab countries and Israel as a side dish or garnish and is a popular condiment on meats and vegetables. Tahini also forms the basis of many sauces and soups that are popular throughout the Middle East.
-
3
Combine tahini with pekmez in Turkey, especially during the winter. Pekmez is a syrup-like liquid made from condensed fruit juices.
-
4
Mix tahini with sugar and spread it on pastries in Cyprus, especially in the north. This dish in known as tahinli and is served as a breakfast side or dessert. Tahini is also the main ingredient in the Mediterranean version of halva, another dessert.
-
5
Find tahini increasingly more often in Europe with pre-packaged sandwiches. It is commonly spread on bread instead of peanut butter.
-
1
