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Tahina bel Laban Zabadi

This version has a delicate flavor and is rather creamier than most. My mother discovered it in the Sudan, and has made it ever since. It can be a dip or a sauce.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 or 3 cloves garlic
Salt
2/3 cup tahina paste
2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
Juice of 2 1/2 lemons, or more
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put all the ingredients except parsley together in a food processor or blender and blend to a smooth cream. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, or garlic if necessary.

    Step 2

    Pour into a shallow bowl and sprinkle on the parsley. Provide Arab or pita bread to dip in.

    Step 3

    Serve as an appetizer, or to accompany grilled or fried meat dishes and salads.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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