Tahini is a dish of Arabic origin, similar to popara or porridge.
The method of making tahini can be likened to that of Italian pasta, since the topping is made from a dough from flour and vegetables, which, after repeated kneading and rising, is dried and milled. This way, the preserved product can be used year-round for making sauce, with which to soak toasted crumbled bread, garnished with feta cheese and butter.
The distinguishing aspect of tahini preparation is the use of the tahini herb. It gives a specific taste and flavor to the dish, as well as speeding up fermentation of the dough.
Each region has its own versions of tahini recipes.
In the Strandzha version, the recipe includes pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers and a unique herb. Some chefs boil tahini with milk.
The following are a few recipes for homemade tahini:
A recipe from the Plovdiv region:
Ingredients: 2 lb of type 500 flour, 3.5 oz zucchini, 9 oz red peppers, 1 1/5 cups sesame seeds, 1 chili pepper, 1/4 pack of yeast.
Preparation: Boil the vegetables and pass them through a sieve. Add the flour, the yeast dissolved in a little water, the finely mashed sesame seeds and salt to taste. Knead a dough and let it rise for 1 to 2 days. Form small balls from it. Once they begin to dry, pass them through a colander. Dry the resulting grains.
A recipe from the Sliven region:
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 2/3 cups water, 2-3 slices of old bread, 2.5 oz feta cheese. Spices by choice: savory, black pepper, powdered garlic and 1-2 tablespoons butter or oil.
Preparation: For each serving, use 1 tbsp of tahini and 1 2/3 cups of water. Put the water to boil with a little salt and put in the tahini, diluted in a little water. Let it boil for 10 min. until the mixture thickens. Toast the old slices of bread and crumble them in a serving bowl. Crumble the feta cheese on top.
If desired, add the spices - black pepper, powdered garlic and others. Pour the boiled tahini over the bread and wait about 5 min. for it to come to a boil. Heat (1-2 tbsp per serving) oil or butter and braise paprika in it. Pour the roux over the dish.
