Tahini is a must in our kitchen, easy to make, and we use it in many different ways, from salad dressing to dip or sauce.
A brief history of Tahini
Tahini is a product of ground sesame seeds that came more from Persian – where it was called “ardeh.” From there, “ardeh” spread to, among others, Israel. For centuries, only the aristocracy and those who could afford it could access the ingredients to make Tahini or “ardeh.” In some cultures, Tahini was used as currency.
The ancient Greeks used sesame seeds both as medicine and as food. Hippocrates is said to have recommended sesame seeds for their nutritional value.
Turkish pilots were considered stronger, bigger, and brighter during World War II than pilots from other countries. Some researchers believed that Tahini in the daily diet could have been the reason for the superior ability of Turkish pilots!
As I mentioned at the beginning, Tahini has many uses. In restaurants, for example, Tahini is used as a sauce for various dishes – either as it is or mixed with other ingredients such as olive oil, garlic, and squeezed lemon.
Most Swedes know hummus, but you can do many other things with this tasty puree.
In Iran, we make halva (halvardeh) with Tahini.
Salad dressing with Tahini is a real highlight, I must say.
If you mix Tahini with honey and cocoa, you get a delicious spread- a little sweet maybe – but who cares 😊
You can find Tahini in well-stocked grocery stores or shops where they sell food from the Middle East.
Tahini is durable – it lasts well for several months, if not years. So you do not have to do so much at a time. The recipe below gives about 4 – 5 dl (2 cups) Tahini, enough for a small household.
A friend of mine once said – you can have Tahini in everything: baking bread or cookies, etc. So yes – you may not be able to have it in everything but quite a lot.
Remember to use either a stainless steel pan or a cast iron pan. Do not use Teflon!
The Tahini becomes thicker as it cools down.
Ingredients for 4 – 5 dl (2 cups) Tahini
150 g sesame seeds
3 tablespoons neutral oil
Method:
- Heat a pan. Pour over sesame seeds in the heated pan.
- Stir all the time or until they have a nice golden color. It takes about 7 minutes.
- Pour over roasted sesame seeds in a blender and mix for a few minutes (3 minutes). Peel the sides at some point during the process.
- Pour over the oil and continue to run the mixer – until you get a smooth and fine puree. Here, too, you need to poke down the pages at some point during the process.
Pour it into a sterilized glass jar and put the lid on.
Enjoy!
Dressing
2 Tbsp tahini
Juice from 1 lemon
5 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp yogurt
Season with salt and pepper
Spread
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp  honey
1 heaping tsp cacao.
Sauce
2,5 dl  (1 cup) tahini
Juice from 2 lemon
1,25 dl  (0,5 cup ) water
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
Hummus
400 grams of cooked chickpeas (14,10 oz)
6 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove of garlic (optional)
0,5 dl water (1,7 oz)
2 – 3 Tbsp olive oil
0,5 tsp salt (add a little at a time)
Method for making Hummus
- Put the chickpeas in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Peel the chickpeas. (the secret to making the best hummus)!
- Put it in a blender.
- Add the other ingredients and process for 2-3 minutes or until you get a smooth mixture.
- Taste – mix in a little water or olive oil if the “mixture” is too thick.
- Garnish
Garnish
Ground suma
Ground cumin
2 – 3 Tbsp olive oil
Parsley
