Tahini was one of those food items that I had long since written off as something I didn’t particularly like. I didn’t mind it in other peoples cooking, but I certainly wasn’t going to be eating it by the spoonful from the jar. If you can imagine a cat coughing up a fur ball, that would be me trying to eat a spoonful of tahini.
Then I decided that I wanted to make houmus for The Monkeys though. When making houmus it needs tahini, everyone knows that, so I was going to have to revisit my spoonful of fur ball.
I decided to try the unhulled darker type as it had been the hulled version I had always tried in the past. With teaspoon at the ready, I dipped in.
Holy houmus, it was delicious.
It tried another small piece to see if my taste buds were tricking me. Nope, it really was. It was like peanut butter…but sesame butter. Now I don’t know if my taste buds have simply changed over time or unhulled tastes ridiculously better than hulled. Either way, it’s now a staple in the fridge and The Monkeys can have as much houmus as they want, as this dip is dead easy to make.
Houmus
400g canned chick peas
1 clove raw garlic
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
4 tbls olive oil
3 tbls lemon juice
1 tbls unhulled tahini
salt and black pepper to taste
Whiz it all up in a hand held blender. Spoon it out on to a dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little paprika.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
Thanks didnt know about the unhulled tahini, Im not a fan either and usually just make my houmus without it but lots more garlic, will go looking for some, my kids love it too 🙂
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It’s such a good kid food isn’t it. Healthy and tasty.
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I love hummus and I am going to look for some unhulled Tahini as it is on my shopping list 🙂
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I hope you find some Tandy, it really was worlds apart.
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I love hummus. I haven’t made it with coriander before. I’ll also be on the lookout for the unhulled tahini as well. Thanks.
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The good thing about making your own is that you can whack anything you like in.
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I agree. Black pepper, coriander and cumin are optional. I even do it without garlic as I’m allergic to garlic. Lemon juice and olive oil are essential! Love it!
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I absolutely love homemade hummus. It is great to be able to put in as much lemon and garlic (lots) as you like.
The new Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe that I have used lately is the Roasted Carrot Hummus. Delicious. The carrots caramelise so it has a nice sweet taste to it as well is the lemony tang. I’ll need to find the recipe and make another batch.
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Yum BM that sounds delicious. Caramelised carrots yes please!
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I’m intrigued…I tried tahini for the first time last year, straight from a spoon, and really, really disliked it. I was expecting it to taste like nut butter and it really didn’t. Cat coughing up a furball probably describes the experience well!. But now I’m almost game to try it unhulled…especially as, if nothing else, it can go in this houmous 🙂
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Oh good. Glad I’m not the only one who has coughed up fur balls then. Give it a go. I’d be interested to see if you think there is a big difference like I did.
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PS. I love it! Unhulled tahini is going on everything.
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I adore tahini, especially the Lebanese version which I’ve just discovered at Harkola. They’ve been telling me to spread it on toast and top it with date molasses, which is very, very yum! Your houmus sounds yummy, Brydie, and a great Friday night dinner!
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Now your talking. With toast and date molasses? That’s much more exciting then peanut butter on toast.
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Oh. Where’s my grocery shopping list …..
Just the sort of nibble topping that Peder’s glucose levels can cope with. Thanks, Brydie. 🙂
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Good to hear Misk. I would imagine this would be pretty low in GI?
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Like you, I’ve never been excited by tahini paste. My father-in-law used to come to stay and he would always bring a jar of tahini paste and take over my kitchen and spread the paste on his toast every morning. It was rather off-putting to be honest. Then I came into the light and wanted to make hummus and behold – tahini was an essential ingredient. I feel more positive about it now!
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Houmus without it just isn’t the same is it 🙂
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I don’t know why anyone would eat a spoonful of tahini – that’s weird. Your hummus looks awesome, not too smooth – just the way I like it!
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ahh yes, but have a tried a spoonful of the unhulled stuff? Definitely spoonable!
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When i run out of tahini, I’m going to grind my own in the thermomix. Imagine how fresh it’ll taste….
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Now THAT would be good
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Tahini is not something I eat from the spoon but I love it in so many dishes – and if my memory serves me rightly I use a generous amount in my hummus because I loved the taste – and I love hummus very much – once you have mastered the basic it works so well with so many other vegies in it which is great for the kids – if they don’t turn up their nose at it like Sylvia did the recent pumpkin hummus – but she loves beetroot hummus
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I’m sure Sylvia will come around. I’m always amazed at how their little taste buds can change so easily… actually and adults!
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I love hummus- wouldn’t even consider eating tahini from a spoon and have given up using canned chickpeas. Dried, soaked, then boiled chickpeas taste so very much better that I’m never going back to the can!
Yours looks very delicious- and I’m looking for the darker unhulled tahini now, too! Thanks!
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I hope you find some Heidi, you might even be tempted with a spoon 😉
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Such a classic. This looks perfect.
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Thanks Greg.
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i love unhulled organic tahini spread on bread and dry biscuits instead of butter..a bit of ricotta and a few slices of tomato and a little salt and pepper and that’s lunch..
love your hummus brydie..and it’s great that your children like it..it’s so healthy..
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Now that is a perfect lunch Jane. Perfect…
Healthy and tasty what more could ask for.
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Really? I must have a closer look for the unhulled darker type as I can’t recall seeing it. Thanks!
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Try a health food shop Rose, you should be able to find some there.
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That’s some picture-perfect looking houmus, and I like the addition of a little coriander to your recipe!
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Little old coriander finds itself in a whole lot of my cooking.
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I love hummus but am not big on tahini either. I use sesame oil instead. 🙂
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Hmmm interesting glutenfreezen. I always associate sesame seed oil for asian flavours.
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Looks great – I must get round to making my own hummus.
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Give it a go C, you won’t look back.
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I discovered the Lebanese tahini a few years ago and love it. I don’t much like the hulled or unhulled versions from the supermarkets. I could eat the Lebanese version by the spoonful on its own, it is that good. Hommous is always an emergency stand by in our house – we always have lemons, tahini and tinned chickpeas…and ofcourse spices. Takes less than 5 minutes to make and always tastes so fantastic.
Another stand by for me is to pound some garlic into a fine paste with some salt. Mix it with tahini and natural yogurt – seriously good on grilled meats or as a dip/spread.
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It’s so easy to make isn’t it, and so much better than the average bought varieties.
I will have to try your other stand by. That served with some grilled chicken and a little salad… and damn, that would be delicious!
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Hommous was my standard dip to make for yeaaaars. The only reason I haven’t made it in a while is… I don’t know! I should make it again soon. It’s also what got me started on tahini. Now I eat tahini (I go unhulled, too) on my toast for breakfast most mornings 🙂
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Good to hear of another unhulled friend 🙂
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Big hummus fans here, stuffed in home made pita with falafel and salad and chilli sauce, on rye crisp breads, on a spoon…
I have only ever seen one colour of tahini here, I will have to look out for the other sort. Just before Christmas we had a go at making halva which involved beating tahini paste into a hot sugar syrup, it worked really well, if you have something with some glucose in it. like the stem ginger in syrup that was in the recipe, the halva sets morre like fudge. It was an interesting thing to play with, but only when feeling brave, all that boiling sugar….
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I do like halva. There is a deli near by that taunts me with great wedges of it. We eye each other off, I sigh and usually walk away. I would like to give it a go some time, (making it that is.)
Does it keep well?
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i love tahini on toast with honey. try it! do!! it;s delicious. I also use it in salad dressings and sometimes put some in baby’s food (she;s a ten month old veggie baby).
i too discovered the unhulled one (in the health food aisle of the supermarket usually) and find it much nicer. happy hummussing!
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Oh dear what have you done? Luckily for me, I was eating breakfast when I read your comment, tahini and and honey toast later… I think there maybe a new winner! Yum. See you later peanut butter!
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