This tasty recipe, based on the famous Tahini paste, can be used as a salad dressing or as a sauce to enhance roasted chicken, roasted vegetables or simply as a dip for warm pita bread.
Tahini, an oily paste made of roasted sesame kernels, is a staple in Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is made from sesame seeds that are soaked in water and then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in saltwater, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce Tahini.
Nowadays you can buy Tahini in most supermarkets. If you keep it refrigerated, you will notice that it will separate in the glass, oil on top and paste sitting on the bottom. A cold tahini paste will be very difficult to stir. One solution is to place the jar in a bowl of hot water and wait about 10 minutes until the paste softens and then stir it well. Leaving it outside on the countertop, if your time allows it, is another possibility.
Yield: 1 1/2 cup (350 ml)
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp Tahini
- 2 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
- 1 tsp cumin, or to taste
- juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) Greek yogurt
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 Tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Preparation:
Tahini needs to be well stirred before adding it to other ingredients. Put tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper in a bowl. Add the Greek yogurt by the tablespoon, stirring well until you have reached the desired consistency, similar to a salad dressing. Add the finely chopped fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) or flat-leaf parsley. Add a bit of water if sauce still seems too thick. Correct the seasoning, if necessary.
