Over the years, I have bought many jars of Tahini paste from the store, which is basically just toasted sesame seeds with oil. I buy this because I like to combine it with spices, lime juice, and other ingredients to make a Tahini sauce to use as a dip, to make hummus, or to drizzle over meat on the grill. Tahini sauce is really versatile and wonderful and you need to know about if you don’t already!

The problem is that I’ve never liked the Tahini paste I bought from the store. It always tasted bitter and I would only use it once. It would sit in the refrigerator until I forgot about it, and then would be no good anymore.

To avoid this problem I decided to simply make Tahini sauce completely from scratch, including toasting the sesame seeds. It’s not hard and doesn’t take long. You toast hulled sesame seeds for about 2 minutes in a saucepan to bring out their nutty flavor. You then combine these with other ingredients — garlic, lime juice, oil, and water — in a food processor to make the sauce.

It is amazing how good the home made sauce is! It is so much fresher and packs a flavorful punch compared to a store-based version. It has a wonderful nutty flavor, a hint of lime and garlic, and a really creamy texture.

I use this dip as a way to get family members to eat fresh or roasted vegetables. You can thin the sauce out with a bit more water or oil to make a dressing for a salad.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sesame seeds
• 4-5 peeled garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup water or more
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

We’ll need to toast our sesame seeds to bring out their nutty flavor before making the sauce.

Use a dry, wide saucepan over medium heat to toast the sesame seeds. Stir constantly until the seeds are lightly colored for 2-3 minutes. Be careful when cooking the seeds as they can burn easily. Once you’re done toasting the seeds, transfer them to a large plate to cool.

Place toasted sesame seeds into a food processor and process until it becomes like a crumbly paste for around a minute. Add in the garlic. Pulse it a few times to chop the garlic. Then, add salt and cumin. Pulse a few more times.

While the processor is running, slowly add the oil, lime juice, and water. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the food processor a few times. Check for consistency. It should be creamy and smooth, not gritty.

Add a few more tbsps. of water, if necessary, to reach the desired look and taste for seasoning. Serve with crackers, veggies, or whatever you want!

Makes 2 cups

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to email me or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram.