tahini paste.... how do you like to use it?
i love hummus and baba ganoush. the baba i make once in a while but the hummus i have not. i bought a can of tahini to try but it is a large 15 oz can. and google doesn't give ideas except for different versions of a few recipes. how do you use your tahini. how do you store it?
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23 Comments:
I like to dip dates in tahini as a healthy and filling snack.
juliebugsmama at 2:36PM on 11/14/08
I store mine in the cupboard. I usually make hummus and tahini sauce with it. Ttahini sauce is often served together with hummus in the Middle East, it's not unusual to see a plate of hummus for dipping with a good dollop of tahini sauce in the middle. It's eaten in all the same combinations as hummus is - as a dip, in a pita with salad or meats, etc. I also sometimes add a spoonful of it to my Israeli salad.
Tahini sauce is very easy to make - blend together tahini, water (1:1 ratio of tahini to water), chopped parsley, minced garlic, lemon juice and salt. The last 4 ingredients - to taste, but don't be too shy with lemon juice. I usually make it when I make hummus as they go together (e.g., if you make a pita sandwich, you can most certainly use both at once), but we often finish the tahini sauce even before hummus - my OH actually likes it more.
brooke29 at 3:12PM on 11/14/08
I don't know what else to do with the stuff other than putting it in hummus.
PumpkinBear at 3:41PM on 11/14/08
Hummus and baba ghanoush here too, and the tahini goes in the cupboard. I made a black bean hummus once and keeping the tahini despite subbing the beans resulted in a wonderful dip that didn't automatically turn into a Mexican-style black bean dip but had a nice, different taste.
You could probably add a little bit in to recipes that call for peanut butter or other nut butters (I wouldn't completely swap, but do maybe 3/4 c PB and 1/4 c tahini in a recipe that calls for 1 c PB) to develop more complex, layered flavors. *shrug*
joyyy at 3:51PM on 11/14/08
i put my stomach in your hands. i think i'll do hummus i have a craving for a dip. maybe it's the 4 bunches of celery my bf thought i needed. what is israeli salad? and i do love pb. i think sat. is going to be a experimental kind of day. thanks.
dearrie at 4:16PM on 11/14/08
These cookies, from last year's Dec. Gourmet cookie issue are great. I didn't do the gilding, who would?
rochellefeil at 4:16PM on 11/14/08
Forgot to mention, they're sesame cookies and call for 1/2 cup tahini.
rochellefeil at 4:18PM on 11/14/08
@dearrie- Israeli salad is a simple vegetable salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers - all diced pretty small, with minced red onion, garlic and parsley, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.
brooke29 at 4:22PM on 11/14/08
I dip my falafel in it.
izatryt at 4:27PM on 11/14/08
Try tahini on toast with molasses - not too much!- it's really good. Ok course in hummus. Also I make a peanut sauce for noodles but sometimes make a sesame sauce by substituting tahini for peanut butter (or you can mix half and half). Raw tahini needs to be stored in the fridge - mix well first. Roasted tahini is shelf stable but I like to refrigerate it so that the oil stays mixed in.
I wonder why we write friDge but not refriDgerate?
PeanutButter at 4:27PM on 11/14/08
i can do that.
dearrie at 4:28PM on 11/14/08
i was looking at falafel mix from near east. i almost bought it but i wasn't sure. i'm not sure about the molasses. i only put that in baked beans. i tasted it off my finger once and i probably made a face like mr. bean's red headed step sister. took a while for my face to go back to normal. lol..
dearrie at 4:36PM on 11/14/08
I use tahini primarily in my boyfriend's mom's ultra-top-secret sesame noodles recipe. Wish I could share, but the stakes are high. I also use tahini in hummus (Cook's Illustrated and Silver Palate are standby recipes chez moi). I store my tahini in the cupboard.
pearl at 6:34PM on 11/14/08
Here's a salad dressing recipe that is really good:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup tahini
juice of one lemon
2 TBS honey
Try it on a spinach salad with thinly sliced apples or pears or persimmons, red onions, and some chopped almonds.
karen r at 6:55PM on 11/14/08
I second the Tahini (Tahina in the Egyptian form of Arabic) with Molases--especially good when scooped up with a nice pita.
To make Tahina sauce add water, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to the paste. It should be a thin but not watery consistency. (a little thicker than pancake batter.
We serve this with our Egyptian hamburgers called Kofta--hamburger meat (beef and lamb) mixed with parsley, s&p, and other spices---I'm sorry I can't remember, mom usually makes it!
I would be willing to try it on a regular hamburger as well--or again with pita or veggies for a wonderful snack.
veggieout at 7:23PM on 11/14/08
I like it on toast with honey.
buffy at 7:37PM on 11/14/08
What brands are good? I keep buying one kind, and don't really care for it. Any suggestions?
Elizabelle at 9:10PM on 11/14/08
I buy Joyva. Other brands are lighter in color and seem to be missing something... maybe the sesame seeds aren't toasted? I have no idea.
pearl at 1:45AM on 11/15/08
Tahini will last longer in the fridge than if you leave it out - all that oil can easily go rancid, like with natural peanut butter. I only use it in hummus (and I think Joyva brand is best too, and I believe Cook's Illustrated found that as well), but it lasts for quite awhile.
producestories at 6:00PM on 11/15/08
falafel and tahini dripping down my fingers. joyva is the only one i could find. i didn't know it was going to be a clump, i had to stir the oil back in for quite a while. well worth it. thanks everyone.
dearrie at 6:49PM on 11/15/08
I put some in my peanut sauce that I make for swimming rama, phad thai, or spring rolls ect....
pjracz10 at 9:07PM on 11/15/08
Try mixing the juice of a lemon, lots of garlic and a couple of spoons of yoghurt to get a consistency that's thick but spreadable for fallafel or warm pita. Splashes of Tabasco or other vinegar-y, not-very-hot hot sauce don't hurt either.
Does Tahini keep forever in the fridge? It is most economical to buy the large jars and I've never had any seem "off," even tho' it takes me 3-6 months to use up the big jar.
SallyMutant at 9:30PM on 11/16/08
Does tahini have salt in it? If not, then it's just sesame butter, yeah? We use it in China for savory sesame noodle dishes. Sesame paste + ginger + garlic + garlicky sirracha + soy sauce + a little sugar + some rice vinegar to taste. Go make it, it's amazing with cilantro, lime, and mung bean sprouts on al dente soba noodles or even spaghetti.
Aynsl156 at 10:07PM on 11/16/08