11 things you didn't know you could do with tahini

Tahini wants you to know there's more to it than just being a chickpea's sidekick in hummus.

Source: Ben Dearnley

This thick, sesame paste has a knockout flavour you'll want to get down with, so listen up as we tell you how to get to Sesame Street.

1. Drizzle it, just a little bit

Start thinking about that tahini jar beyond the realm of the vegetarian. These spiced prawns get a load of sesame flavour with a drizzle of this simple taratour, or tahini, sauce. All it needs is a squeeze of lemon to brighten it up – and a pine nut doesn't hurt, either.

Spiced prawns with caramelised onion and taratour sauce

2. Get baked

These crumbly little cakes may not be able to hold it together all that well, but it's their fragility that make them so beautifully appealing. Made in Greece during lent as they contain no animal products, they have tahini to thank for their sesame sweetness.

Glazed tahini orange cakes

3. Lean and green

Tahini greens out with a little help from coriander and parsley in this fresh and zesty sauce served alongside creamy ocean trout fillets. Coating curls of fennel, this new-look tahini packs a powerful punch.

Ocean trout with green tahini and fennel slaw

4. Get on the sauce

The perfect accompaniment to lamb shawarma  - get up close and personal with the power of tahini. Crushed garlic gets the ball rolling and joins up with tahini's best mate, lemon, to give this sauce a wicked citrus hit, great for cutting through the richness of the lamb.

Lamb shawarma with tahini and lemon Source: China Squirrel

5. Button it up

These delicious morsels are reminiscent of halva, but without the added sugar. If you want these tahini shortbread bikkies to be more than a mouthful, by all means double the size.

Tahini shortbread buttons Source: Chris Middleton

6. If you do not like green eggs and ham

The seeds and nuts you have come to expect from your breakfast muesli take on a more savoury side, in Shane Delia's egg and greens breakfast fry-up (minus the ham). The combo of tahini and yoghurt is one not to miss.

Breakfast greens with fried eggs and tahini Source: Shane Delia's Recipe For Life

7. It's absolutely fine to wing it

Inspired by the flavours of Lebanon and the Middle East, the stunning combination of flavours will make you look at chicken and carrots in a whole new light. If you're planning ahead, marinate the chicken the night before for a punchier flavour.

8. Filo me up

Get into the habit of an after-dinner cigar with these tahini and sweet cheese filo pastries. Ready in just 35 minutes, put that jar of tahini in the pantry to good use when last-minute dinner guests drop by and whip – or should we say, roll – these little treats up.

Sweet cheese, tahini and chocolate flogeres Source: Benito Martin

9. Ice, ice, baby

We know that tahini transcends the savoury, but perhaps the sweetest and most irresistible of the sesame paste's forays into the world of dessert comes in the form of this luscious ice-cream. Here, Shane Delia adds a Turkish delight and a simit biscuit to make it a grand affair, but we'd happily just take the ice-cream.

Pumpkin, Turkish delight and tahini ice-cream

10. Lose your noodle

Slicked in a thick lick of peanut butter and tahini, these Taiwanese sesame noodles are so adored in their home country that noodle-lovers can even get a hit at 7-Eleven stores. We love them because in just 10 minutes, a deliciously addictive bowl of noodles is ready to be devoured. One slurp, and you'll lose it for these ma jiang mian.

Sesame noodles (ma jiang mian) Source: Ben Dearnley

11. And of course we had to include hummus

If you're mad about about chickpeas and tahini, then hummus is the obvious choice. A great go-to snack, this hummus bi tahini recipe calls on cumin and pine nuts for a little extra oomph.

Source: Sarka Babicka

Get your hands on more tahini magic by visiting our recipe collection here.