Tahini
Tahini is a very popular sauce, used all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East. It has many usages too: as a sauce in many cooked dishes, as a very important ingredient in hummus, and it can be consumed as a spread on a piece of bread or scooped with pita.
If you can put your hands on a good quality raw tahini, good for you. By the way the best raw tahini you can find in Israel is made in Nablus on the West Bank. The Dove, Caravan and Jamal (Camel) are the leading brands. But it is very easy to prepare it by yourself. All you need is sesame seeds, olive oil and a food processor.
​
2 cups raw tahini or
2 cups sesame seeds
olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
salt
Preparation time: 5 min + 5 min for raw tahini
Difficulty level: Easy
Ingredients
Preparation
Preparing raw tahini:
Put the sesame seeds in a frying pot or a wok over medium-high heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon, so as not to burn the seeds. When they start to change their color into golden, remove from heat and transfer to a food processor. Process when gradually adding olive oil until the paste starts to get runny. Transfer to a glass can with a lid. You can keep raw tahini in the fridge for several month.
​
Preparing tahini sauce:
Put 2 cups raw tahini in a bowl.
Add juice of 1 lemon and minced garlic.
Stir constantly adding water until you get the desired thickness.
Add salt to taste. Sprinkle some olive oil. Garnish with sweet paprika or za'atar or some finely chopped parsley.
