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Ora's Generational Lebanese-Syrian Spicy Tahini

Name: Ora's Generational Lebanese-Syrian Spicy Tahini
Ingredients: 450 g (1 jar) tahini paste; ⅓ bunch fresh parsley, preferably leaves only; 6–16 cloves garlic; 2–4 small or medium lemons, juiced; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika; 6–12 g (1–2 tsp) fine salt, usually about 9 g (1½ tsp); 175–415 g (¾–1¾ cups) cold water, straight from the fridge

Family recipe from Great-Grandma Ora

Spicy Lebanese-Syrian tahini from my great-grandmother Ora (my mom's mom's mom), passed down through the generations. It's made by taste: start with the smallest amount of everything, then adjust.

Ingredients

⁦225⁩ g (⁦½⁩ jar)⁦½⁩ jar (⁦225⁩ g) tahini paste⁦450⁩ g (⁦1⁩ jar)⁦1⁩ jar (⁦450⁩ g) tahini paste⁦900⁩ g (⁦2⁩ jars)⁦2⁩ jars (⁦900⁩ g) tahini paste⁦1350⁩ g (⁦3⁩ jars)⁦3⁩ jars (⁦1350⁩ g) tahini paste
⁦0.17⁩ bunch fresh parsley, preferably leaves only⁦⅓⁩ bunch fresh parsley, preferably leaves only⁦⅔⁩ bunch fresh parsley, preferably leaves only⁦1⁩ bunch fresh parsley, preferably leaves only
⁦3–8⁩ cloves garlic⁦6–16⁩ cloves garlic⁦12–32⁩ cloves garlic⁦18–48⁩ cloves garlic
⁦1–2⁩ small or medium lemons, juiced⁦2–4⁩ small or medium lemons, juiced⁦4–8⁩ small or medium lemons, juiced⁦6–12⁩ small or medium lemons, juiced
⁦1⁩ tsp ground cumin⁦2⁩ tsp ground cumin⁦4⁩ tsp ground cumin⁦6⁩ tsp ground cumin
⁦1⁩ tsp ground black pepper⁦2⁩ tsp ground black pepper⁦4⁩ tsp ground black pepper⁦6⁩ tsp ground black pepper
⁦1⁩ tsp hot Hungarian paprika⁦2⁩ tsp hot Hungarian paprika⁦4⁩ tsp hot Hungarian paprika⁦6⁩ tsp hot Hungarian paprika
⁦3–6⁩ g (⁦½–1⁩ tsp)⁦½–1⁩ tsp (⁦3–6⁩ g) fine salt, usually about 9 g (1½ tsp)⁦6–12⁩ g (⁦1–2⁩ tsp)⁦1–2⁩ tsp (⁦6–12⁩ g) fine salt, usually about 9 g (1½ tsp)⁦12–24⁩ g (⁦2–4⁩ tsp)⁦2–4⁩ tsp (⁦12–24⁩ g) fine salt, usually about 9 g (1½ tsp)⁦18–36⁩ g (⁦3–6⁩ tsp)⁦3–6⁩ tsp (⁦18–36⁩ g) fine salt, usually about 9 g (1½ tsp)
⁦88–208⁩ g (⁦⅜–⅞⁩ cup)⁦⅜–⅞⁩ cup (⁦88–208⁩ g) cold water, straight from the fridge⁦175–415⁩ g (⁦¾–1¾⁩ cups)⁦¾–1¾⁩ cups (⁦175–415⁩ g) cold water, straight from the fridge⁦350–830⁩ g (⁦1½–3½⁩ cups)⁦1½–3½⁩ cups (⁦350–830⁩ g) cold water, straight from the fridge⁦525–1245⁩ g (⁦2¼–5¼⁩ cups)⁦2¼–5¼⁩ cups (⁦525–1245⁩ g) cold water, straight from the fridge

Method

Blend the base. Put the smallest amount of every ingredient except the water into a blender. If you have time, use only the parsley leaves and skip the stems.
Taste and adjust. Blend until fully combined, then add more of each spice until it tastes right.
- Go easy on the parsley, since too much takes over.
- Add lemon no more than half a lemon at a time, so you don't overdo it.
- If it tastes flat overall, add more salt.
- I usually add a little more of every spice at this stage.
- For more heat, add more black pepper and paprika.
Thin it with cold water. Start with about 120 g (½ cup), then keep adding until it's a little thinner than you want it. Turn a spoonful upside down: the tahini should just barely fall off. How thick is up to you, but if it slides right off, it's getting too runny.
Chill until serving. It keeps in the fridge for at least several months. If it's been a few weeks since you last used it, give it a quick stir.

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Method

Blend the base. Put the smallest amount of every ingredient except the water into a blender. If you have time, use only the parsley leaves and skip the stems.
Taste and adjust. Blend until fully combined, then add more of each spice until it tastes right.
- Go easy on the parsley, since too much takes over.
- Add lemon no more than half a lemon at a time, so you don't overdo it.
- If it tastes flat overall, add more salt.
- I usually add a little more of every spice at this stage.
- For more heat, add more black pepper and paprika.
Thin it with cold water. Start with about 120 g (½ cup), then keep adding until it's a little thinner than you want it. Turn a spoonful upside down: the tahini should just barely fall off. How thick is up to you, but if it slides right off, it's getting too runny.
Chill until serving. It keeps in the fridge for at least several months. If it's been a few weeks since you last used it, give it a quick stir.

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Ora's Generational Lebanese-Syrian Spicy Tahini

Method

Ratings & Kitchen Notes

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Ora's Generational Lebanese-Syrian Spicy Tahini

Method

Ratings & Kitchen Notes

Leave a note or question