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Tahini sauce

Sauces, pastes & condiments · Condiments

Tahini sauce

Tahini thinned with lemon juice, water and garlic into a pourable, nutty sauce for falafel and grilled food.

A kind of tahini

3 recipes with it

Photo: Gilabrand, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

A Levantine sauce made by whisking sesame paste (tahini) with lemon juice, garlic, salt and cold water. It first seizes and thickens, then loosens into a smooth, pale cream as more water is added. It is lighter and tangier than plain tahini.

How it’s used

  • Drizzling over falafel, shawarma and kebabs
  • Dressing roasted cauliflower and aubergine
  • Sauce for grain and chickpea salads
  • Dipping raw vegetables

Characteristics

Taste
Nutty, tangy and slightly bitter.
Texture
Creamy and pourable.
Appearance
Pale cream to beige.
When cooked
Thickens when lemon is first added, then thins with water; thickens again as it chills.
Sold as
paste
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Mainly a seasoning

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate and use within a few days; stir in a little water if it thickens.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Sesame.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains sesame, a major allergen.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
595 kcal
Protein
17 g
Carbohydrate
21.19 g
Fat
53.76 g
Fibre
9.3 g
Sugars
0.49 g

USDA FoodData Central: Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from roasted and toasted kernels (most common type) (a close stand-in).

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Yogurt — Garlic yoghurt sauce works on kebabs and falafel; not sesame-flavoured.

Related ingredients

Recipes with tahini sauce

  • Tasty Mediterranean falafel bowl with fresh greens, a lemon slice, and hummus.

    Falafel

    Middle Eastern · 13 h 15 min · 432 kcal · Vegan

  • A serving of Sabich

    Sabich

    Israeli · 40 min · 581 kcal · Contains egg

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