Greece - Food & Drinks - Side Dish: Tahini sauce.

Tahini sauce is a very easy to make appetizer/side dish of the Greek cuisine. It is created with Tahini, yogurt, garlic and lemon juice.

I like to prepare it especially after a very hot, tiring, summer day. The sauce is very refreshing and at the same time very energy level boosting. It is amazing that so much power is hidden in those small sesame seeds.

Tahini sauce is mainly served, as an appetizer, with white pita bread (both fresh and roasted) but it suits also very well fresh vegetables like cucumber and carrots (as a dip sauce). I also like it to dip in my fried pumpkin balls (similar to falafel).

Ingredients:

• - 400 gr. of yogurt.
  - 4 tablespoons of Tahini (I prefer the Makedoniko one as it has a great texture).
  - 1 teaspoon of cumin.
  - 1 teaspoon of salt.
  - 2 - 3 garlic cloves.
  - juice of 1 lemon.
  - a few leaves of fresh mint (for decoration).
  - a small tomato (for decoration).

Preparation:

• - (1) Press the garlic cloves into the lemon juice.
  - (2) Put this in the refrigerator, for about 15 minutes. (so that the lemon juice absorbs the garlic taste).
  - (3) Strain the garlic out of the lemon juice.
  - (4) In a blender, mix the juice, the yogurt, the tahini, the salt and the cumin, all together.
  - (5) Add about 150 ml. of ice cold water.
  - (6) Mix until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
  

• Finally:
  - For decoration, add a small tomato, some mint leaves and a little cumin.

Enjoy!