Index

Friday, March 8, 2013

Tahini and Hummus


Tahini  is more  used in many  Middle Eastern dishes. Tahini or sesame seed paste is   more nutritious and enhances the flavor when added to  any dishes. I personally love adding a dash of  tahini  to hot soups, sandwiches on toasted bread etc.  The texture may also be slightly coarse than store bought tahni, but it has the same delicious flavor, and may be far fresh and tastier.

We had a cafeteria near by my  house, where in the evening they make fresh falafels, shawarmas. The chef  who used to make this was so friendly that he gave me the recipe and very often I make this at home as we love this so much. He even taught me to make falafel, shawarmas too. I will be sharing  that recipes here soon.

Sesame seeds are rich in minerals such as calcium, zinc and manganese. They also contain useful quantities of some B group vitamins including thiamin and B6, and are a useful source of vegetable protein.
Please excuse me I forgot to capture the  picture of the tahini before using it. I will put a better pic next time I make my stock.


Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil  (you can use more if needed)                                   1 cup sesame seeds




Method
Preheat your oven to 340°F (170° C).
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Wash and dry the sesame seeds  on a cloth so that there is no moisture  
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Spread  sesame seeds on a roasting tray, and toast in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring regularly to toast evenly. Do not allow to brown as this impairs the flavor. Or alternatively you can lightly toast in a kadai. Let  the sesame seeds  cool.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Put the the  sesame seeds in food processor and add half the oil.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Process the mixture on a high for a minute, stopping to clean the sides of the food processor with a spatula from time to time.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Add the rest of the oil, and continue the process until the seeds are in a good  paste form, ensure to clean  the sides.   
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->When the mixture is evenly smooth, transfer the tahini to a tight fitting glass jar using a flexible spatula.

Tahini may be kept in the refrigerator for many weeks in a well sealed jar.

Hummus (Chickpea Dip)
This rich dip is served with crackers and one of the most essential part of the Arabic platter served with Arabic breads, falafel etc.
I prefer to use the fresh dried chickpeas, soak them over night. Boil till cooked with the garlic and follow the procedure, somehow the canned peas does not give me satisfying results with the nice flavor of the fresh peas.

Ingredients
Boiled chickpeas or Garbanzo beans – 1 cup                                Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (increase or reduce to your taste)           Olive oil – 4 tbsp                                                                           Garlic – 2 big clove                                                                        Salt to taste                                                                               Paprika or chilli powder to garnish                                      Tahini paste – 1 tbsp



Method
Leave 4 – 5  whole chickpeas for garnish.
Blend the rest of the chickpea to smooth, add  the lemon juice, tahini, salt, and give a mix one more time and place this to  the serving bowl. Make a well in the center and the olive oil.
Garnish  with paprika or chilli powder and add in the  whole peas.
Serve this with Pita breads, crackers or toasted breads
Latha

25 comments:

  1. Very nice recipe dear. I too have one version in my draft. I like urs better. Looks healthy and delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very new food item.....as the name ....the food too looks different & delicious... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. hummus is my husband's fav so i prepare this very often..yours looking lovely:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Feel like inviting myself to ur place, drooling here.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Delicious Tahini and Hummus Lata, can you put the baking partners logo on the sidebar of your blog. I appreciate that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Delicious combo. Looks inviting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tahini and Hummous- love them. Brought back old memories.

    ReplyDelete
  8. looks delectable .. i just love both dips, both are really healthy..

    ReplyDelete
  9. hi dear,
    an award is waiting in my space..pls collect it

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love both the dips.never tasted it ,so tempting.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wow!! You are really into cooking!! Everything looks so good! I most definitely will book mark this blog to go through some of the recipes! Thank you for stopping by my blog too!! Sandy

    www.sandysanderellasmusings.blogspot.com
    www.sandylcampbell.blogspot.com
    www.sanderellas1.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. my kids just looove hummus. nice recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wowe.. thanks for sharing this recipes.. Waiting for falafel and shawarma :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks delicious Latha.. Drooling here :-)

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...