Tahini Sauce (Flavorful and Aromatic)
This was my original idea for Tahini Sauce to go with my Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, but I assumed some (really more like most) people may not want to go through all the steps of toasting and grinding whole spices, even though it produces much better aromas and flavors. We all enjoy the convenience of pre-ground spices at times, though.
Tahini is a Middle-Eastern condiment made from sesame seeds. If you have made or tasted Hummus, tahini is a main ingredient. Delicious.
If you don’t want to go through the toasting process, or you don’t have a spice grinder, it’s perfectly fine. The sauce will still taste really good. Just use the amounts I have listed in the ingredient list for the spices: ½ teaspoon ground cumin, plus ¼ teaspoon ground coriander.
Tahini can be found in glass jars in the International aisle at most grocery stores. There is usually a layer of oil on the top where it has separated, and that is perfectly normal. I didn’t say it was easy to deal with; I said normal.
If you have a spoon that won’t warp from the elbow grease you have to put into stirring the tahini in the jar, just stir really well. I will personally scrape the tahini out of the jar into a medium bowl and use my immersion blender to combine the tahini and the oil back into one nice cohesive ingredient.
If you’ve read this far and are beginning to have second thoughts, I implore you, just try it. Whisk the contents of the jarred tahini into submission (quote from “Julie and Julia”), or use the immersion blender method, and continue with the recipe. The end result will be a flavorful condiment you (I hope) will make over and over.
Serve this Tahini Sauce alongside my Roasted Harissa Cauliflower, or use it as a veggie dip that will put ranch dressing to shame.
Enjoy!
Tahini Sauce (Flavorful and Aromatic)
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice, preferably freshly-squeezed
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a zester, or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons excellent-quality extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 5 - 8 tablespoons water, see Notes
- sea salt, to taste
Serve with:
- Fresh vegetables
- Pita chips
Instructions
- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until very fragrant, but not burned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour them onto a plate or a piece of wax or parchment paper to completely cool.
- Once the seeds are cooled, pulse them in a grinder to a fine powder.
- Add the spices to a medium bowl, and add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Whisk the ingredients. If the sauce is seizing up in your whisk, just continue to add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings or lemon juice. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top of the Tahini Sauce and serve.
Notes
First, the oil has probably separated in your brand new jar. That will have to be combined very well before you begin. What worked for me was scraping the entire jar into a bowl and using my immersion blender to bring it all together into one smooth >>>. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular electric blender or good old elbow grease and a whisk. Once you have smoothed out the tahini, you can pour it back into the jar to keep in a cool, dark place, like a pantry. No need to refrigerate. If you use the jar again within a few weeks, you will still need to stir, but probably not need to go through that hard blending again. As you first begin to blend the ingredients together, the mixture will “seize up.” It is normal. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the sauce is to the consistency that you personally like. Be sure to taste and adjust any extra salt or lemon juice, also. Tahini Sauce is a condiment that you have to adjust as you go. The end result is super-delicious, so enjoy the process! Nutritional chart was calculated with 1 teaspoon sea salt and ¼ cup lemon juice.
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