Sunday, May 2, 2010

Tahini


Tahini  (Arabic tahina) or sesame paste is a paste of ground sesame seeds used in cooking. North African/West Asian tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds. East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled seeds. So that explains the brown colour of my tahini.
Tahini is a major component of hummus and other Middle Eastern foods. It is sold fresh or dehydrated.

Sesame paste is an ingredient in some Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dishes; it is used in some versions of the Szechuan dish Dan dan noodles. Because East Asian sesame paste is made from unhulled seeds, it is more bitter than tahini.

I have added honey to my tahini, so it can be used as a spread on toast, or as a sandwhich for kids. Sweet tahini can be used as you would use peanut butter.

unhulled sesame seeds
  
Health Benefits of Sesame
  • very good source of manganese and copper,
  • good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.
Sesame contains two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group of special beneficial fibers called lignans, which-
  • have a cholesterol-lowering effect 
  • prevents high blood pressure
  • Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage.  

  
Ingredients-
1 cup unhulled sesame seeds
2tbs oil
honey to sweeten(optional)

Preparation-
  • Microwave or toast the seeds for 30 seconds.
  • Add oil and pulse till you get a paste.
  • Add honey to sweeten.
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15 comments:

  1. oh wow I love this in eggplant hummus and have never seen it made homemade your a genious going to bookmark this one love it thank you!!!!!!!

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  2. Shirley, I'd love to try this with bread. Looks yummy!

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  3. wow..i never thought of making tahini!!! this is great!

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  4. I've only ever used tahini in hummus and tahini-yogurt sauce but I love the idea of using it, with honey, as you would peanut butter! Yum.

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  5. Oh so simple! It's on my list for this weeks must try items. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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  6. Simple to make, and much cheaper than buying by the jar, I'm sure. Love the nutrition information!

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  7. i great way to make home tahini!thanks,shirl!

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  8. Oh Shirley, what a great recipe to share with! In Asia, we normally used ground sesame to make sweet dessert. It's very aromatic & tasty! I'm still trying to imagine the sesame spread on my bread. mmm.....
    Have a great day, dear!
    Regards, Kristy

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  9. I just made black sesame paste.... so yum!

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  10. Shirley... you are such a fun mom and are making so many good memories for your children! I love homemade tahini... and it is awesome on rice crackers too drizzled with raw honey!

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  11. Never thought to make tahini before, but this totally makes sense. It's easy too!

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  12. I love the addition of honey in your fantastic homemade tahini!

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  13. Oh! Will have to try to make myself next time :-) Thanks!

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  14. Great post about Tahini! :) It's a delicious ingredient in so many Lebanese dishes, both sweet and savoury. You should try it with traditional grape molasses and bread... YUM!

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