Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
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- 1 clove garlic – finely grated
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- 3/4 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup water – ice-cold
- parsley – chopped (for serving)
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, mash the garlic with the kosher salt to a smooth paste.
2. Add the lemon juice and tahini and whisk until the mixture seizes and thickens.
3. Gradually whisk in the water, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce turns pale, smooth, and spoonable.
4. Let stand 5 minutes to settle; whisk again briefly. If you prefer a milder bite, strain out any garlic solids before serving.
5. Serve at room temperature; top with parsley if desired. Refrigerate airtight up to 5 days, whisking before use.
Tahini sauce is a creamy, lemony sesame emulsion with a nutty depth and a clean, bright finish. Its texture is silky yet substantial, making it ideal for drizzling, dipping, or spreading. You’ll find it alongside falafel and shawarma, spooned over roasted vegetables and fish, or thinned slightly to dress salads and grain bowls.
Rooted in the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, the sauce is known as tahina or techina and is built on ground sesame seeds, a staple in the region for centuries. The defining technique is whisking tahini with acid and water to create a pale, fluffy emulsion. Across Arab cuisines and in neighboring cultures, variations appear under names like tarator, but the core—sesame, lemon, garlic, and salt—remains consistent and culturally significant.