It’s no secret that black sesame seeds are one of my favorite ingredients of all time. I’ve made black sesame paste, black sesame creme brulee, and even black sesame rice krispie treats. All good but I realized that most black sesame recipes are desserts. So I thought it would be a cool idea to make it into a savory dish. That’s how my black sesame hummus and black sesame tahini recipes came to be. Both equally amazing in their own right and perfect for upcoming outdoor party season.
Black sesame tahini
The idea for a black sesame tahini was partly inspired by my last visit to Liholiho Yacht Club. Yes it was my 7th time there but I still found dishes that I’ve never tried before! Like this Japanese sweet potato dish with a black sesame maple sauce. It was so interesting. I’d never had a dish like this before, but I absolutely loved it. It made me start thinking well how can I turn black sesame into a sauce. And tahini came to mind. Tahini is typically made with white sesame seeds, olive oil, and salt. So I thought why not sub in black sesame for white sesame. The results were absolutely amazing.
One thing to be aware of is that black sesame has a stronger flavor than white sesame, so when working with it, you need to add some sweetness to cut through that flavor. For this tahini, I added 1 tablespoon of honey. If you feel that you want to balance out the black sesame flavor even more, add more honey to the tahini.
Making black sesame hummus
So when you make tahini you have to make hummus. Am I right? I adapted this hummus recipe from a blog called Cookie and Kate for this black sesame hummus recipe. The resulting hummus was a dark grey color that looks pretty awesome. I can see it being served at Halloween as well as summer parties.
Black Sesame Hummus
Equipment
Ingredients
Black Sesame Tahini
- 1 cup black sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
Black Sesame Tahini
- Toast black sesame seeds in a large pan for ~1-2 minutes over low heat. You will smell the toasted sesame aroma once they are done. Be careful not to burn them. Let black sesame seeds cool for 10 minutes.
- Add sesame seeds to a high powered food processor and pulse until extra fine. Add in the olive oil, salt, and honey, and pulse once again until you get a smooth thick texture.
Black Sesame Hummus
- Drain chickpeas and add to a medium sized pot. Add a few cups of water (3-5) and bring the water to a boil. Boil the chickpeas for 20 minutes or until the skin starts to fall off the chickpeas.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, add garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a high powered food processor. Pulse until garlic is in small pieces. Let it sit for 10 minutes to marinate.
- Add in the black sesame tahini and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Add in the cold water and olive oil and pulse a few times until smooth.
- The chickpeas should be done at this point. Drain the water and add them to the food processor. Pulse until you get a smooth hummus (~2 minutes).
- Optional: drizzle with a few spoonfuls of olive oil before serving.
To be honest, I had a hard time making the tahini but when I made the hummus it was all worth it!!!! My blender even overheated. Huhu. But this recipe is super yummy, I’ve been craving for hummus for a long time. Thank you, Becca! 🙂
Oh no!! I hope your blender is okay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the hummus!
I had to air it out twice. Haha. But now I’m currently munching on them. Thank you again!!! 🙂
How long will the hummus keep in the fridge?
The hummus should keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
How long will the Tahini last in the fridge?
It will last for up to 6 months!