Loading ...Dajaj bi Tahini - Chicken in Tahini
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer
Tahini, a thick nutty flavoured paste is somewhat like peanut butter in looks and taste. It is a versatile rich paste – a choice food in all countries which edge the shores of the eastern Mediterranean.
It is commonly used in preparing hummus bi-tahina, baba ghanouj and tarator. However, it is also enhances the taste of kafta and fish dishes when cooked as a sauce on top. While on a trip to Lebanon back in the 1970s, I first had my taste of chicken cooked in tahini sauce in a Beirut restaurant. The 70s seem so far away, but the taste of this dish has remained with me until today.
Serves 4 to 6
6 tablespoons cooking oil
2 pounds chicken breast, cut into serving pieces
2 medium sized onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves {cilantro)
1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups water
6 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
In a frying pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the oil, then fry chicken pieces over medium heat until golden brown, turning them over once or twice. Remove chicken pieces and set aside. Add remaining oil then sauté onions’, garlic, coriander leaves and hot pepper over medium heat until onions begin to brown. Stir in water, tahini, salt and pepper then bring to boil. Add chicken pieces and cover then cook over medium low heat for 30 minutes adding more water if necessary.
Place chicken pieces with their sauce on a serving platter then decorate with parsley just before serving.
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