The BEST Creamy Tahini Sauce Recipe | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why is my tahini sauce not smooth? ›

Knowing that tahini seizes, and how to fix it, is the key to how to make a great sauce with the desired consistency: smooth! Fix the seized mixture with the addition of ice cold water. ​You may only need a little water to smooth out the mixture; it's best to start with less water and add more as needed.

TAHINI SAUCE TIPS

That's mainly because sesame paste on it's own is a paste and as you whisk in the water and lime juice it will thicken up and change it's character from an oily seed paste into a smoother lighter paste. Here you need to add some water to thin out this paste.

It's impossible to confuse tzatziki and tahini; not only do they taste radically different in both flavor and texture, but they look radically different, too, because they're not even made from the same base: Tzatziki is a Greek sauce made from cucumbers and yogurt, while tahini is made from crushed sesame seeds.

Tahini is a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are very high in oil — it makes up about half their weight. Some brands contain additional oil, salt, or other ingredients.

Adding a few tablespoons of mild-tasting oil is helpful.

This helps the tahini become more smooth, creamy, and drippy. You can use less oil, but the tahini won't be as easy to pour. I find 3 to 4 tablespoons perfect for a texture like store-bought tahini.

Tahini can sometimes seize or become thicker when mixed with lemon juice due to a chemical reaction between the lemon juice's acidity and the tahini's natural composition. This reaction causes the tahini to solidify and become stiff.

If your tahini is dry, or if you prefer a thinner sauce, add more water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency. Then, taste and adjust your seasonings. If you prefer a brighter sauce, add more lemon. If it is too bitter, stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey.

But tahini has a thin consistency, which means that it won't stay put on the moist, slick surface of a fish fillet. To thicken the tahini and give it some holding power, the solution is a bit surprising: We stirred in 2 teaspoons of juice. You'd think that adding a liquid would thin tahini rather than thicken it.

Though its name sounds similar to the Middle Eastern condiment tahini, Tajín has little in common with the sesame paste, and in fact was named after an archeological site where its founder learned the Nahuatl word for chile, Aji.

Tahini, also known as sesame butter, is a condiment made from sesame seeds. It is similar to a nut butter in terms of texture and consistency, and the ingredients are usually pretty simple. Toasted or raw hulled sesame seeds are ground into a creamy mixture. In recipes for hummus and baba ghanoush, tahini is a staple.

Which tahini is better for hummus? ›

Best Overall Tahini: Al Arz Tahini

It has a deep, nutty, full flavor and isn't gooey or sticky. This is one I have on hand in my home kitchen for hummus, baba ghanouj (also spelled baba ganoush), tahini sauce for my falafel, and more.

They're both healthy, dietitians say. Tahini is lower in carbohydrates and sugars than peanut butter is making it a better choice for people who follow low-carb diets, Politi notes. Both foods are predominantly fat, though peanut butter has a little more protein, Young adds.

Eating tahini may help to protect the liver and kidneys, both of which are essential for removing toxins and waste from the body. 9 10 A 2018 study found that diabetic participants who consumed sesame oil every day for 90 days, resulted in improved liver and kidney function.

Once you get your jar of tahini home, you want to open it up and give it a stir to make sure it's incorporated. (If the oil has fully separated, such as in the photo above, Food editor Joe Yonan uses an immersion blender to reincorporate it, after which he says it stays emulsified.)

Stir really well as you add water. The water will cause the tahini to clump together at first, but these clumps will disappear as you add more water.

If your food processor isn't very powerful, you may need to blend it for an extra 5 minutes or add a bit of oil to help the process along. If the mixture heats up, let it rest to cool so as to not damage your food processor.

Much of its makeup is carbohydrates, and when a small amount of juice (or any water-containing liquid) is added to tahini, a portion of each carbohydrate molecule is drawn to the water. As a result, clumps of carbohydrates appear.

The seeds will have been hulled using nothing but water and nothing else needs to be added to it, at all. It's perfectly natural for the oil in tahini to separate out in the jar. In fact, if it doesn't, it's a sign that a chemical emulsifier has been added to it, so avoid that brand in the future.