Mira’s Famous Tahini Sauce
Serves: Makes just over a cup of pure deliciousness!
Prep time: 5 minutes
A creamy, dreamy and luscious tahini dressing. This is going to be your new best friend and you will want to pour it over everything!
Tahini is honestly the greatest invention and one of my absolute favourite condiments. It is made from toasted and ground sesame seeds that are blended into a paste. Tahini is also super versatile as it can be made into sweet or savoury sauces, dressings and marinades. Sesame seeds are a great source of plant protein, B vitamins and calcium. They also support healthy bones, reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure. This little paste packs all the delicious flavour and it is highly nutritious, filled with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants too. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is soothing and strengthening for the nervous system.
In Ayurveda, sesame seeds generate heat and energy in the body, they’re great for their warming effects during wintertime and they have some fantastic beauty bonuses too – they’re beneficial for hair growth, skin health and have anti-ageing properties.
My mouth is already watering, let’s make it ☺
Tahini Sauce
Ingredients:
½ cup + 2 tbsp tahini
¼ cup + 2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup filtered water
1 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice (pure maple syrup, agave nectar or rice syrup)
1-2 tsp miso (depending on which kind you use and how salty it is)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Optional crack of black pepper
Method:
Add the tahini to a bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, sweetener of choice, miso, garlic and crack of black pepper. Slowly add the water until you reach the desired consistency, it should be a thick sauce but pourable. You’re going to want to taste this one as you go and adjust the flavour to your preference. If too thick, add more water, if too runny add a bit more tahini. Feel free to play around with the flavours and make it your own. I served this tahini sauce poured over sticky grilled brinjals with fresh microgreens and a side of black rice noodles.
Serving suggestion:
I could literally write a book on 100 ways to eat tahini but here are a few ideas below to inspire you for this savoury tahini sauce:
Hummus
Baba ghanoush
Bean pâtés/spreads
Falafel
Grilled tofu
Burgers
Soups
Pasta dishes and bakes
Noodles and stir-fries
Crackers/bread
Roasted veggies
Whole roasted cauliflower
Baked potatoes
Salads
Crudités
Grains – it’s great with quinoa, sorghum, brown rice and millet
Legumes and beans – tahini is best friends with chickpeas and also its fellow cousins lentils, butter beans, adzuki beans, red kidney beans, black-eyed beans, etc
Buddha bowls
Sandwiches
Wraps
Pour, smear, dip and drizzle onto everything!
Special thanks to photographer, Samantha Lowe, and food-stylist, Christi Wasserman.
With love,
Mira
