Tahini / Tchina / טחינה

My first blog post is dedicated to a staple of the Israeli / Middle Eastern kitchen, as well as to the vegan kitchen.

Ta Da!

T-chi-na as we call it in Israel, is a sauce/dressing/paste/dip that is made out of ground sesame seeds. It can be made plain and simple and it can be upgraded with tastes and colors. I eat Tchina on salads, pasta, and rice, and in sandwiches. It can be used as a dip for almost everything, and it is essential sauce for Falafel and Sabich (coming soon!) and you cannot make Hummus without it!

Here I present three variations of Tchina: Parsley Tchina, 3 Herbs Tchina (which is basically the parsley Tchina with two more herbs!), and Creamy Tchina. 

Parsley Tahini:

Ingredients: [make a medium box – good for two people – for a week – unless you eat it all immediately, which is a possibility!]

• 6-8 spoons of Raw Tahini – some people would die defending the best raw tahini in their opinion. It has become a topic of culinary wars but me, as a well-known pacifist, refuse to take part in these wars…The trick for good raw tahini is to taste it a bit in its raw form – if it is smooth and full with sesame flavor it is probably good tahini! 
• 2-3 garlic cloves – crushed 
• Juice from one lemon 
• Handful of parsley leaves – washed, dried and separated from stems
• Freshly ground salt & pepper
• Half a glass of water

Directions:

• Wash parsley well, pick the leaves, chop them small (I have herbs scissors) and put them a large bowl
• Press garlic cloves into the bowl
• Add some salt & pepper, lemon juice and 6-8 spoons of tahini
• Add a 1/4 of a glass of water and start mixing with a fork  – add a bit more water while mixing.

The paste should not be too watery but should drip from the fork – so add water carefully – if too watery add a spoon of raw tahini – the tahini will become thicker when storage in the fridge so no panic! 

• 3 Herbs Tahini:

Same but with a handful of cilantro (yum!) and Moroccan mint (aka Nana – sweet and aromatic)

•  Creamy Tahini:

Same, but instead of mixing with a fork, using a hand mixer or a blender to create a smooth creamy paste.

Yesterday’s veggie pasta upgraded with 2 spoons of tahini and a cat