Homemade Roasted Sesame Paste

By the Gracious Vegan

As I described in my post What is Chinese Roasted Sesame Paste?, this cousin of tahini is crucial for a few of my favorite dishes and is a great substitute in many dishes for sesame oil, which I try to avoid because it’s processed. I was buying Chinese roasted sesame paste until I thought there might be a way to make it myself. After some research and experiments, I think I’ve got it. Useful in the following recipes: Cold Sesame Noodles, Without Oil, Moo Shu Vegetables and Candle-Café-Inspired Stir-Fry, Thai-Inspired Peanut Sauce, and Sweet and Tangy Edamame, among others.

Makes about 2/3 cup of sesame paste

Roast the sesame seeds in a large (at least 12”) skillet on medium heat on the stove, stirring often. Take them off the heat when the majority of seeds turn golden brown, 5-10 minutes, depending on your heat and pan. Don’t cook them too long, because they can get bitter.

• 1.5 cups (or more) sesame seeds — I highly recommend hulled white sesame seed, because the hulls create a bitter taste in the final result

Let the seeds cool at least 15 minutes (it will be faster if you remove them from the skillet).

Then put them in the food processor and process for as long as it takes to turn the seeds into a paste. I have an older-model Cuisinart, and it takes 4-5 minutes, which is a long time for a food-processing step. I was amazed that eventually the seeds turned into a paste.

I store my paste in the pantry, and it lasts over a month. (I haven’t tested it longer than that.) Oil may form on the top — just stir it in before you use it, like with natural peanut butter.

Timing: About 30 minutes

Gluten-free