The United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (IYP) #IYP2016. This aims to create awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production.
Pulses are a staple of the Mediterranean diet. They are good sources of plant-based proteins, amino acids, fibre, iron, B group vitamins and other nutrients that help prevent cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. They are low in fat, contain no cholesterol and so it is recommended to eat them as part of a healthy diet and to address obesity problems. They are a perfect addition to all sorts of dishes including soups and stews.
For those who wonder what kind of recipes they can prepare with pulses, here you have some of my recipes already published at Tasty Mediterraneo: “Rishta: Lebanese lentils soup”, “Mediterranean Falafel”, “Lebanese foul moudammas”, “Creamy white beans & vegetables soup”, “Red kidney beans, avocado & tahini paté”, “Lentil, rice & vegetables soup”, … and so many other of my recipes with pulses that you can find at Tasty Mediterraneo.
Today’s recipe, the Lebanese Tarator, is a tasty and nutritious tahini sauce that is perfect to be served with my Falafel recipe. As you know my falafel recipe contains two different kinds of pulses: chickpeas and split dried fava beans. And this delicious vegan, gluten and dairy free sauce is the perfect addition to your falafel sandwich or burger.
If you try my tahini sauce recipe, please let me know, leave a comment and rate it. I would love to know what you come up with. Enjoy!
- 5 Tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons water
- A pinch of sea salt
- In a small bowl mix well all the ingredients until combined.
Optionally you can add some parsley leaves and pine nuts.
The taste was amazing with incredible satisfaction, we had it with fried sardines it was awesome. Thank you.
Hi Sam, I’m glad you like it 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
It’s great to learn that tahini-based sauces can help address obesity problems. My wife and I are wanting to start eating healthier and we were wondering how we could reduce the chances of becoming obese. I’ll be sure to tell her that we should consider making tahini-based dipping sauces for our meals.
Hi Aaron, tahini based sauce can’t help address obesity problems on its own. It is following a balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet that can help address obesity problems 😉 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Really great!
Thanks Alexander, I’m glad you like it 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
I make a he sauce for me very holiday family gathering and use it cold over potatoes broccoli cauliflower boiled eggs parsley. It’s always a hit.
Hi Rosie, I’m glad you like it 🙂 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
I make a he sauce for me very holiday family gathering and use it cold over potatoes broccoli cauliflower boiled eggs parsley. It’s always a hit.
I have tried this recipe yestardy, it was awsome with the falafel i have made.
Thank you Margarita!
Hi Issam, I’m delighted to know you enjoyed it! 🙂 Happy healthy cooking!
No garlic in the recipe? Not even as an option?
Hi Neal, the Lebanese Tarator recipe does not have garlic, but if you would like to add garlic to it go ahead, that’s the beauty of cooking! You can adapt recipes to your taste 😉 Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
Depending on how your viewpoint, you are both wrong and right . As someone from a Balkan origin, the first image that comes to mind when I think of “tarator” is a Bulgarian dish that consists of yogurt, cucumbers, dill, oil, water, and GARLIC, served with a slice of bread. After some research, however, I found this dish varies depending on which region it comes from: In the Levant, tarator is a sauce based on tahini. While in the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey it is composed of cucumbers and yogurt.
I am surprised on your lack of information, considering that Turkey and Greece make up such a large part of the Mediterranean, not to mention the title of the website is called “Tasty Mediterraneo.”
Hi Alexander, it is clearly stated in the title of the recipe “Lebanese Tarator”, it is not Greek nor Turkish nor Bulgarian tarator
Garlic in taratur could be a regional thing in Lebanon. I have a cookbook authored by a Lebanese woman and the tower tour recipe has garlic.
It may be possible David. Enjoy and happy healthy cooking!
This recipe is so perfect for anything!!!! It is really good with a little parsley in it too.
Hi Sophia, I’m happy to know you like it. Enjoy and happy healthy cooking! 🙂
Yesterday I have seen taratar sauce prepared with bread soaked in water,squeezed + tahini + garlic+ salt + and blanched almonds
Hi Alice, the authentic Lebanese tarator sauce it is made as per my instructions. What you describe wouldn’t be called tarator sauce in Lebanon, but it sounds as a very interesting mix of ingredients 😉 Enjoy!
My mother was Canadian born to Lebanese and Syrian immigrant parents. Her tarator cinsisted of garlic crushed olive oil lemon juice and salt. Where would her recipe habe originated?
Hi Roze, I asked my mother in law about your query, since this is her family recipe. She says the tarator sauce always has tahini as an ingredient. Maybe at the time it was difficult to find tahini sauce in Canada and your grandparents adapted it? I can’t say, but she confirms that every Lebanese or Syrian family do the tarator sauce with the ingredients in this recipe, they may vary a bit the amount of them, but that’s it! 🙂 Enjoy!