Tahini, tahina or tahine is a popular Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean condiment, that is vegan, soy-free, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free. You only need two ingredients to make your own homemade tahini from scratch.
I’ve been meaning to share this super easy tahini recipe for a while now. I meant to share it along with my post on baba ganoush. However, I’ve been on a soup spree these past few months, which by the way I hope you enjoyed 🙂
It’s time to wrap up my posts on soups and warming foods, coz Spring is almost here 😀 If it is still cold where you are at, I encourage you to try this Instant Pot tortellini soup which has been the most tried and tested soup recipe from my blog this season! A big bowl of this cozy soup is perfect to warm you up.
Table of Contents
What is tahini?
Tahini is a smooth and creamy paste or seed butter, made with ground hulled sesame seeds and oil. It is one of the important ingredients in hummus and baba ganoush (roasted eggplant dip).
Tahini is a superfood, it is packed with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, proteins, calcium, B vitamins, Vitamin E, and fatty acids.
It has a mild nutty flavor, a very subtle bitterness, is creamy and rich. Tahini should be consumed in moderation, as it is a high-calorie food, so a little goes a long way!
Let’s talk about the ingredients
You only need two ingredients to make tahini at home i.e sesame seeds and oil. For more flavor, you can throw in a pinch of salt. Let’s learn more about these two ingredients.
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Sesame seeds
There are a variety of sesame seeds available commercially, raw, hulled, unhulled, sprouted, toasted, in a variety of colors. You can use any kind of sesame seeds, but the flavor and texture of the resultant prepared tahini will differ in flavor and texture.
Hulled v/s unhulled sesame seeds:
Unhulled sesame seeds are those that have their husks or outer covering still intact. And hulled sesame seeds are those in which the outer covering has been removed during the manufacturing process.
Personally, I love the flavor and texture of tahini made with hulled sesame seeds as it makes smooth and creamy tahini. The texture of tahini made with unhulled seeds is a little coarse, although it is more nutritious than hulled ground sesame seeds.
Where to buy sesame seeds? I usually buy sesame seeds from the Indian grocery store. You will also find it easily in some Middle Eastern or Lebanese stores. You can also buy sesame seeds from the bulk food aisle of your grocery store. In fact, it is much more economical to buy sesame seeds from the bulk bins rather than picking up those small bottles from the spice section of your grocery store.
However, there is a slight drawback when buying from the bulk bins because we do not know how long it has been sitting there. If the seeds are not fresh, the tahini might not taste as good. Buy as much as you need for a batch, 1 cup of sesame seeds yields about 3/4 cup or more of tahini, depending upon the amount of oil you use for blending.
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Oil
Use a neutral-flavored oil such as canola, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower or vegetable oil, etc to make tahini. A strong-flavored oil like extra-virgin olive oil may alter the taste of the tahini, and also make it taste bitter.
Also, try and avoid using toasted sesame oil, as that will lend a very strong flavor to the tahini. It is suitable for finishing off dishes like stir-fry, et all. If you do want to use sesame oil, remember to use light sesame oil, as that is a pretty neutral-flavored oil like canola.
You can also make oil-free tahini if you like, as sesame is an oil-rich seed, but you will need a high-speed blender to ensure you have a smooth paste.
Ways to use this fabulous condiment
Tahini is a very versatile condiment, so don’t limit it only to hummus and baba ganoush, here are a few other ways of using it;
- You can make an easy tahini sauce by adding a few ingredients like lemon juice, garlic, and some water to the prepared sesame seed paste. It is perfect for falafels or for drizzling over roasted vegetables, kabobs, meats, fish, or burgers.
- Serve it as a dip for crudités or pita bread.
- Tahini is also great as a spread on toast, drizzled with a little honey or maple syrup.
- It is fantastic in salad dressings.
- Use it to thicken up curries.
- You can also use it in desserts like halva or use it to make tahini cookies or muffins.
What are some of the ways you like to use tahini? I’d love to know and try some more exciting ways, do share in the comments below!
Seriously folks, consider making your own tahini. This is such a basic recipe and is quite economical to whip it up at home, rather than buying a bottle that costs $$!
Besides, if you don’t use it as much, and need it just to make hummus, you can customize the quantity as required. That way you also have minimal wastage.
How to make tahini – Step by step instructions
{Printable recipe card below stepwise pictorials}
Step 1: Toast the sesame seeds
Method 1-(Stove-top): Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 cup of hulled sesame seeds, toast it, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until it begins to give off a nutty aroma and turns a light golden color.
Switch off the heat, and transfer the toasted seeds to a plate. Set it aside until it cools down completely.
Method 2 (Oven): Toast the sesame seeds in the oven. Place the sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet, in a single layer. Toast at 350° F for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently in between, until the seeds turn a light golden color. Transfer the roasted seeds to a bowl or plate and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Process the sesame seeds with oil
Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a food processor with sharp metal blades. You can also throw in a pinch of salt. I used a mini food processor (1.5 cups capacity). If you use a large capacity food processor, you may want to double or triple the batch, so that the seeds are above the blade in order to process well.
Process the seeds until it turns into a coarse paste.
Add oil, a tablespoon at a time to facilitate grinding. Blend after each addition, scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl occasionally. Stop when you have a smooth, creamy, pourable consistency tahini sauce.
The quantity of oil is variable in this recipe, you may need more or less depending upon the quality and freshness of the sesame seeds, the power of your blender or food processor and also on the consistency of the tahini.
Store your homemade tahini in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month. You can store it for longer, but for food safety practices, I suggest using it up within a month. If you do not consume tahini as much, it is best to make a small batch.
If the oil separates and forms a layer on top over a period of time, simply stir the tahini with a spoon.
Notes
- The quantity of sesame seeds in this recipe is quite small for it to be used in a blender. Consider doubling or tripling the recipe for a high-powered blender like Vitamix or any other blender, the seeds should cover the blades for it to work. The process is the same, pulse the seeds first until it turns to a coarse, crumbly paste, scraping down the sides of the jar occasionally. Add a tablespoon of oil at a time, continue blending until it reaches your desired consistency. For a high-powered blender, you may not require to add any oil as the seeds will release enough oil to blend into a smooth paste.
- To make raw tahini, skip the roasting step, and follow step 2 directly.
- If you choose to use unhulled sesame seeds, remember to rinse the seeds with water, let them dry up completely, then follow steps 1 & 2. Rinsing unhulled sesame seeds removes some of the bitterness, so I recommend following this procedure.
- Is your homemade tahini bitter? Your tahini could taste bitter if you did not use a neutral-flavored oil or the seeds that you purchased from the bulk aisle could have been old. Sesame seeds have a high oil content and can turn rancid over a period of time if not stored properly. To make the best tahini, try and use fresh sesame seeds.
★ If you try this easy homemade tahini recipe, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in comments, as it helps others know the recipe better too. Or feel free to share your feedback and suggestions at [email protected]. Thanks so much 🙂
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How To Make Tahini
Ingredients
- 1 cup hulled sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup neutral-flavored oil or as needed
Instructions
- Method 1-(Stove-top): Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the hulled sesame seeds, toast it, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until it begins to give off a nutty aroma and turns a light golden color. Switch off the heat, and transfer the toasted seeds to a plate. Set it aside until it cools down completely.
- Method 2 (Oven): Toast the sesame seeds in the oven. Place the sesame seeds on a rimmed baking sheet, in a single layer. Toast at 350° F for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently in between, until the seeds turn a light golden color. Transfer the roasted seeds to a bowl or plate and let it cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a food processor with sharp metal blades. I used a mini food processor (1.5 cups capacity). If you use a large capacity food processor, you may want to double or triple the batch, so that the seeds are above the blade in order to process well.
- Process the seeds until it turns into a coarse paste.
- Add oil, a tablespoon at a time to facilitate grinding. Blend after each addition, scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl occasionally. Stop when you have a smooth, creamy, pourable consistency tahini sauce.
- Store your homemade tahini in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month. You can store it for longer, but for food safety practices, I suggest using it up within a month. If you do not consume tahini as much, it is best to make a small batch.
- If the oil separates and forms a layer on top over a period of time, simply stir the tahini with a spoon.
Notes
- The quantity of sesame seeds in this recipe is too less to be used in a blender. Consider doubling or tripling the recipe for a high-powered blender like Vitamix or any other blender, the seeds should cover the blades for it to work. The process is the same, pulse the seeds first until it turns to a coarse, crumbly paste, scraping down the sides of the jar occasionally. Add a tablespoon of oil at a time, continue blending until it reaches your desired consistency. For a high-powered blender, you may not require to add any oil as the seeds will release enough oil to blend into a smooth paste.
- To make raw tahini, skip the roasting step, and follow step 2 directly.
- If you choose to use unhulled sesame seeds, remember to rinse the seeds with water, let them dry up completely, then follow steps 1 & 2. Rinsing unhulled sesame seeds removes some of the bitterness, so I recommend following this procedure.
- Is your homemade tahini bitter? Your tahini could taste bitter if you did not use a neutral-flavored oil or the seeds that you purchased from the bulk aisle could have been old. Sesame seeds have a high oil content and can turn rancid over a period of time if not stored properly. To make the best tahini, try and use fresh sesame seeds.
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