Are you looking for a creative falafel sauce from scratch to make at home? Then try out my simple yogurt dipping sauce with sesame oil: this is the best falafel dipping sauce ever!
Are you asking me what my favorite falafel sauce is?
Then that must be my homemade and savory sesame yogurt dip no doubt!
I love that earthy flavor coming from the sesame.
Tehina
Unfortunately the world’s famous sesame paste also known as tehina (or tahini or whatever you call it) is pretty damn difficult to find here in my hometown.
I once found it in a mediterranean spice shop in Antwerp but I was so shocked by the price that I just put it back on the shelf and walked out without it.
That was ridiculously expensive.
Over the years I have come across quite a few recipes on how to make your own tehina paste at home though.
Something I still have to try out one day!
Toasted Sesame Oil
So the challenge here is that I have to find other alternatives to get that beautiful earthy sesame flavor in my recipes.
No problem.
I recently bought a gorgeous toasted sesame oil in my local supermarket and since then I use that as a substitute.
All the other ingredients you need for this flavorful yogurt dip are very easy to find.
Add to that a portion of golden fried hot falafel chickpea balls and you just made yourself a winner dinner!
So you have falafels and sauce on your table already.
Best Falafel Sauce with Sesame & Yogurt
What other mediterranean stuff could you add?
A fresh salad with feta, tomatoes and cucumber (a Greek salad is just delicious here) and extra dipping sauce such as homemade hummus, a creamy baba ganoush or a spicy brava sauce…
Serve the falafels, falafel sauce and salad separately.
Or stuff it al into a tortilla wrap or pita bread or something.
Mediterranean fast food at its best.
Dig in and enjoy!
Best Sesame & Yogurt Falafel Sauce Recipe
Try out my simple yogurt falafel sauce with sesame oil: the best falafel dipping sauce ever!
- 7 oz unsweetened yogurt (200 g)
- 2 fresh spring onions
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds
- a handful fresh mint
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- pepper
- salt
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Pour the plain yogurt in a medium mixing bowl and then add the garlic paste and the (toasted) sesame oil.
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Give the yogurt a good stir. Then add the sesame seeds.
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Stir again. Rinse and dry the fresh mint and chop it up very finely. Add this to the yogurt together with the lemon juice. Season the yogurt sauce with a pinch of pepper and salt.
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Stir the sauce well. Then trim and clean the spring onions. Slice them up very finely as well and add this to the yogurt.
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Stir well again. Check the seasoning of the sauce and add extra garlic paste, lemon juice, sesame oil, pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Then put the sauce in the fridge for 10 minutes to chill. Right before serving give the sauce one last good stir (the yogurt can be a little watery after chilling) and garnish with extra sesame seeds and chopped mint. Serve cold.
What are falafel?
Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern food made from ground chickpeas or fava beans that have been mixed with herbs and spices.
The mixture is then formed into small balls or patties and deep–fried until golden brown.
Falafel is often served in pita bread with a variety of falafel sauce or condiments such as hummus, tahini, and cucumber yogurt sauce.
Where does sesame come from?
Sesame is a flowering plant that is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.
The seeds of the plant are used to make sesame oil, sesame paste, and sesame seeds.
Sesame seeds are also used as a popular condiment, especially in Middle Eastern cuisine.
Do you have to toast sesame seeds before making this sesame sauce?
No, you do not have to toast sesame seeds before cooking with it.
Toasting the seeds will bring out more flavor and help to release the oils, but it is not necessary.
You can simply add the seeds to the dish you are preparing without toasting them first.
What is tehina?
Tehina is a traditional Middle Eastern sauce or condiment made from ground sesame seeds.
It is a very popular condiment in Israel, and is often used in various Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus and falafel.
It is also used as a dip, spread or a falafel dressing.