Tahini is at the center of Arabic cuisine, a simple condiment that is added to all types of sweet and savory dishes. It is served as a sauce at times and is an essential part of other main course recipes.
The name tahini or tahina in Arabic comes from the word “than,” which means ground in English.
Tahini is made by grinding roasted sesame seeds until they come together and release oil which then helps in it becoming a paste. The runny texture of tahini resembles that of peanut butter. The flavor of this sauce is defined as earthy, slightly bitter and without any sweetness to it — yet tahini compliments desserts very well.
Tahini has an extremely rich history. According to Bodrum blog, tahini originated from Persia, where it was called “ardeh.”
Sesame seeds have long been known for their nutritional value. These tiny seeds were even recommended by the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates.
The recipe presented here couples tahini sauce with chocolate in the Chocolate and tahini rolls. To make the dough for the rolls you will need 300 grams flour, 150 ml milk, 5 tbsp melted butter (or you can substitute it with a vegan alternative), 2 tbsp sugar, 1 whole egg, 1½ tsp dried yeast, and ½ tsp of salt.
Combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl, add the sugar and yeast and leave the bowl in a warm place for 10 minutes, which will allow the yeast to activate. Then add the dry ingredients to the mixture and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes. You can do this by hand or by the paddle attachment on your stand mixer.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or cling wrap and leave it to rise for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, in a bowl mix 200 grams of semisweet chocolate chips with 2 tbsp of tahini, mix until chocolate chips are covered in tahini.
Once the dough has increased in size, portion it into balls (the size can be according to your liking). Fill each dough ball with a tablespoon of the chocolate and tahini mix. Seal the dough and roll until it becomes and perfect ball.
Place each ball in a buttered dish and sprinkle it with caster sugar and sesame seeds. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius until you get a nice golden brown color.
Enjoy with tea or coffee after iftar.
