Tarator (Lebanese Tahini Sauce)

Tarator (Lebanese Tahini Sauce) - kvalifood.com

The Lebanese version of tahini sauce – tahini emulsified with lemon juice, water, and garlic. In Lebanese cooking, “tarator” specifically means this tahini-lemon sauce (in other regions the word refers to completely different dishes). The sauce should turn pale beige, almost white, when properly emulsified.

Makes ca. 240 ml / 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 120 g tahini paste (1/2 cup), well-stirred
  • 60 ml fresh lemon juice (~1 medium lemon)
  • 1 garlic clove (~5 g), crushed to a paste with salt
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 80 ml cold water, plus more, as needed

Directions

  1. Stir the tahini jar thoroughly to recombine solids and oil.

  2. Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat of a knife until it forms a smooth paste.

  3. Place the tahini in a medium bowl. Add the garlic paste, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk together. The mixture will seize and become very thick.

  4. Add cold water a little at a time, whisking continuously. The sauce will loosen and become smooth and pale.

  5. Continue adding water until the sauce reaches a pourable, creamy consistency – it should coat the back of a spoon but flow freely when drizzled. Taste and adjust.

Notes

  • No-garlic version: simply omit the garlic. This is a legitimate simpler variant, not a shortcut.
  • The sauce whitens as it emulsifies. If it stays dark, keep whisking.
  • Thickens in the fridge. Add a splash of water before re-serving. Keeps 10-14 days refrigerated.
  • Use tahini made from hulled sesame seeds. Bitter tahini makes a bitter sauce.
  • Traditional accompaniment for falafel, shawarma, grilled fish, and sandwiches.