If you're a fan of Middle Eastern food, then you've probably heard of tahini. Maybe you've even gone out and bought a can of the stuff with Jasmine's dad from Aladdin on the front. Because halva, baba ghanoush, and hummus all rely on this paste made from sesame seeds, maybe you thought you couldn't make your favorite Middle Eastern dishes without shelling out 9 or 10 bucks for the Sultan's brand, but the truth is, tahini is something that takes very little effort and ability to concoct at home.
The word tahini comes from an Arabic verb for "to grind," and the preparation of this stuff involves just that. Once you've lightly toasted your sesame seeds, all that's left to do is add a little bit of salt and grind into a paste with some good extra virgin olive oil. I usually don't call for the extra virgin variety in my recipes*, but we aren't cooking the tahini here. Therefore, the better the flavor of your oil, the better your tahini is going to taste. That being said, whirring steel blades from food processors can make the olive oil bitter, so don't hit 'on' and walk away for two minutes-- mix just enough to make a paste.
If you're going to use a mortar and pestle, add the salt right in with the seeds so you can break them down more quickly. A spice grinder makes this recipe super fast and easy, but limits you to working in small batches. Lucky for you, this recipe is by weight, so if you want to make a large amount (after all, it stays good for a couple of months in the fridge), you can throw all your stuff in a food processor and the tahini will come out perfect.
In my next post I'll be showing you how to make a killer vinaigrette with this stuff to drizzle over grilled chicken or for a Middle Eastern salad. For now, try this tahini with some falafel or serve alongside some tzatziki as a dip for your next get-together. Enjoy.
*I do not recommend EVOO very often for two reasons: It has a lower smoke point than regular olive oil and its fruitier flavor is almost undetectable of most cooked dishes.
Ingredients:
70 grams white sesame seeds, lightly toasted* (about 2 cups)
1.5 grams of kosher salt (a big pinch)
30 grams of good extra virgin olive oil (a little more than 2 tablespoons)
dash of cayenne (optional)
*You should be able to find toasted or roasted sesame seeds at the store, but you should save money by toasting them yourself
36, 1 tsp serving
|
Calories
|
Protein
(g)
|
Carbs
(g)
|
Fat
(g)
|
Sodium
(mg)
|
Sugar
(g)
|
Total:
|
665
|
12
|
16
|
66
|
608
|
0
|
Per Serving:
|
18
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
17
|
0
|
1. Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat or in oven. Stir frequently. Don't let them get dark brown, the key is to lightly toast them. Allow to cool.
2. Using a spice grinder or food processor, grind seeds with salt thoroughly. Pulsing a couple of times before grinding should help make a more even powder.
3. Add in olive oil and mix just enough to combine and make a paste. If you'd like it thicker, add less oil. If it isn't pourable, add more oil.
4. Add a dash of cayenne and stir in (optional).
5. Store in clean air tight container in fridge. Should stay good for at least 3 months. Serve as a side to any Middle Eastern dish with some lemon wedges, a dip, with falafel, or use as a marinade or in vinaigrettes.
This work bydoyouevencookbro.blogspot.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
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