Homemade Tahini Sauce

While shopping for some new foods to try that were healthy and didn’t cost an arm and leg, I came across some Boca Brand Falafels. What are Falafel? . 

They are a middle eastern food made with Garbanzo Beans AKA Chick Peas. They are sort of dry and have an earthy taste. You can learn more HERE. 

I had them once at a restaurant uptown but did not like them so much. I also had no idea what I was really eating. After I learned what they were made of, I wanted to try them again. So I bought a bag from the frozen foods and poured them into my air fryer. 

But I needed a sauce. Falafel are good dipped in cucumber sauce or Tahini Sauce. 

What is Tahini? Don’t worry, I never heard of it until now either. 

Tahini is a thick paste made from sesame seeds. Once you have Tahini paste, you make the Tahini sauce. You can find Tahini paste in most grocery stores but here on the West side of town, It was not found. That's when I decided to make my own. It was easy and way less expensive. 

Homemade Tahini Sauce

1 cup sesame seeds

4 tablespoons Olive oil.

Directions: Add sesame seeds to sauce pan and stir until to desired brown. 

They will brown quickly so make sure to keep an eye on them. 

Remove from heat and let cool for a minute or two .

Place seeds in food processor and grind until fine.

Add the oil a little at a time and keep blending until it becomes a soft paste. 

You may not need all the oil but I did.

Now you have your paste.You can keep it in the fridge over a month until ready to use.

To make the sauce, just add 

lime juice (1/2 lime should be enough).

Salt and pepper.
1 minced garlic clove

 1/2 cup yogurt.

You can adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more yogurt, or water.

There you have it. A nice little creamy dip that can be used for veggies, on salads, sandwiches, Falafels and more.

Tahini sauce reminds me a lot of Hummus.
NOTE: You can make the sauce without adding yogurt for a more vegan style.

Next time I make Falafels, I plan to make a cucumber sauce dip instead.

I'm always open for ideas if anyone has a great idea for a dip or side to go with Falafels.