Tahini, interesting uses in recipes

Cooking Discussions Cooking, Cookbooks, Ingredients
21

Just did a roasted broccoli with tahini that worked really well. Cut into small bite size pieces. Served as a side with pan seared steelhead trout

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22

Wow, that all sounds so good!

23

There was none left. Good sign.

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24

Thinned out with lemon juice Iā€™ve used it to dip steamed artichoke leaves in. Iā€™ve made a challah babka thing with tahini. Spooned some into oatmeal with a bit of siracha for a savory breakfast. And, as other have said its great with all roasted veg.

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25

I am starting to see that if you like an ingredient enough, like a good tahini, uses are endless. Drizzled on just about anything seems like a no brainer if you enjoy tahinišŸ˜Š

One recipe that caught my eye calls for tahini in a acorn squash soup for added body and richness. That appealed as did the tahini milkshake I made for lunch.

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26

I didnā€™t realize until just now that the vegan tahini ranch dressing from Superiority Burger had been published anywhere aside from his cookbook. Itā€™s been a huge hit ever since they opened.
Cutting and pasting here since itā€™s from NY Times and they make it difficult/impossible to access recipes unless you subscribe. Recipe notes to absolutely use garlic powder since fresh will overwhelm everything.
Iā€™ll be making this myself soon, just have to find the best price for the fresh herbs since those are expensive near me (and surprisingly not cheaper at trader joeā€™s)

Vegan Tahini Ranch from Superiority Burger:

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup smooth liquid tahini (like Soom)
  • Ā½ cup lemon juice
  • Ā½ cup water
  • Ā½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup finely chopped dill, chives and parsley, in equal parts

PREPARATION

  1. In a large bowl, use a spatula to mix the tahini with lemon juice. The mixture will seize and thicken, and look alarmingly close to creamed butter and sugar. Donā€™t worry about this. Gradually add water, and keep mixing; the tahini will soon turn pale, smooth and creamy.
  2. Add garlic powder, maple syrup and olive oil, and taste. Season with salt and pepper (the dressing could use at least a teaspoon of salt). Finally, mix in the herbs. The dressing is ready to use right away, though it will taste even better the following day and will keep in the fridge for up to a week
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27

Thanks for posting, looks delicious!

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28

In Aromas of Aleppo Poopa Dweck gives a great recipe for fish in tahina sauce. Here are the ingredients: https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/531294/fish-with-sesame-spread-samak
The complete recipe is apparently not avaiable online. What you do is cook the fish, flake it, mix in a little tahina sauce, form it into a fish-shaped mound, cover it with tahina sauce, layer it with cucumber slices to represent the fish scales, then decorate with olives for the eyes.

29

Dunno why, but the price of dill especially has varied from high to insane for the past month or so, even (way) out here in Brooklyn, at stores that are usually ā€œcheapā€ by Manhattan standards and do adjust their prices daily based on whatever theyā€™re paying for produce at the momentā€¦ Chives are always fairly expensive, but those and parsley donā€™t seem to have been hit so hardā€¦

30

Can anyone explain the difference between tahini and the sesame paste sold in Chinese markets (sometimes labeled ā€œsalad dressingā€) which is also just sesame seeds ground into a paste?

I bought some a while back, and from what I can tell, tahini is a slightly more runny, and ground slightly finer.

But that seems more like the difference between two brands of peanut butter than anything else.

And one is a lot cheaperā€¦

31

With Chinese sesame paste the seeds are roasted before being ground. This gives the product a very different taste and a different texture.

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32

I have read that the Chinese sesame paste is made from toasted sesame seeds and tahini is made from untoasted sesame seeds, although I have also read that while both are toasted, the Chinese paste is toasted whole sesame seeds while tahini is made from toasted hulled sesame seeds. Both camps say that the Chinese stuff has more flavor.

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33

It would, perhaps, be better to say that it has a different flavor.

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34

Iā€™ve seen, but so far havenā€™t tried, Chinese and Japanese (mostly Japanese) sesame paste made from black sesame seeds but as far as the regular stuff made from white sesame seeds, Iā€™d say it has a different flavor rather than ā€œmoreā€ flavor. Iā€™m actually not a huge fan of the couple of brands of Chinese sesame paste Iā€™ve tried. It may just be that itā€™s sat longer in distrubution channels and/or on shelves, but the couple Iā€™ve tried have had a bitter note which I donā€™t enjoy (but then I seem to be relatively more sensitive to bitterness than most people Iā€™ve known.)

But I donā€™t think that bitterness comes just from darker roasting, since Iā€™m not a fan of very light tahini either (like pretty much all of the imported Israeli brands Iā€™ve tried). Apart from what seems to be that specific national preference, I canā€™t say Iā€™ve noticed a huge difference in flavor among brands in general, whether domestic or imported. And I see a lot of different ones out here in Brooklyn (just south of Midwood) and have tried quite a few over the years. As it is, Iā€™m basically not brand loyal at all, I buy from whateverā€™s available at area stores when I need it, looking for the least expensive one with a darker color and a recent date of manufacture or far-off best-before date, with the occasional foray into something pricier if I see rave reviews on online or something particularly catches my eye in the label verbiage. (None of which, so far, has amazed me to the point of straying from less expensive, non-trendy brands on a regular basisā€¦)

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35

I used some instead of tahini in a dressing recently and enjoyed it moreā€¦ but I love toasted sesame oil, so maybe thatā€™s not surprising.

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36

My chinese sesame paste is a thicker consistency, and tastes most similar to toasted sesame oil- only need a small amount to really notice an impact. Whereas my tahini is much looser consistency and the sesame flavor is there but smoother and more subdued.
I donā€™t think the two are interchangeable

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37

Seriouslyā€¦! Iā€™m in harlem and the markets around here have parsley and cilantro cheap but anything other fresh herbs are perpetually ā€œout of stockā€, or look icky, or are stupid expensive. Donā€™t really want to invest $10+ of ingredients for salad dressing! :joy:

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38

Cilantro has recently doubled near me - I mean, itā€™s 1.99 instead of 0.99, but thereā€™s something weird when organic and non-organic are the same price.

39

Iā€™ve never even thought of looking for black sesame paste, even though I love the flavor in all sorts of Asian desserts. Iā€™m similar where Iā€™m not brand loyal ā€“ Iā€™m container-type loyal. snickers
Iā€™ve come to appreciate the ones in containers that make it easier to stir and deal with getting the sesame paste and the separated oil re-incorporated before use a lot more. That part is really such a pain.

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40

So annoying! The market near me sometimes it goes on sale for $1, but usually is $1.50. Anywhere else itā€™s $2+-