Making tahini piyaz is not a five-minute stir-fry. This takes time. The beans must be boiled. The sauce must be emulsified. The onions must be finely chopped. But all the hard work disappears when you taste the end result.
Although it is a staple of Turkish cuisine, it is often misunderstood as “beans and tahini”. That’s not all. It is the balance of acids, fats and earth. The texture should be creamy but not mushy. The lemon flavor should be bright, the onion flavor should be spicy and rich from sesame.
Here’s how to do it without the guesswork.
The Ingredients You Actually Need
You don’t need a special store for this. Most of the items are in the pantry. Quality is the key. Cheap Tahini is bitter. Low-quality olive oil kills the dish.
For beans:
・4 white bean tea cups (about 2 cups). Dried is better than canned for texture control.
– Reserve 1/2 cup cooked beans for garnish.
For the basis:
– 2 small onions. Thinly sliced into rings.
– 2 small tomatoes. Dice.
– 2 sprigs of fresh parsley. Finely chop.
– 3 cloves of garlic. Finely chopped.
Tahini sauce:
– 2 tea glasses of tahini (about 1/2 cup).
– 1/2 teacup of fresh lemon juice.
– 6 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.
– 3 teaspoons of vinegar (red wine or cider is best).
– 3 teaspoons of salt.
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin.
Prepare step by step
Let’s start with beans. This is the longest part. Rinse your 4 tea glasses of dried beans. If you have time, you can cover it with water and let it soak, but if you are in a hurry, you can just boil it. Cook until done.
The beans must be soft. If they are hard, the dish fails. However, don’t overcook it. Must keep its shape.
While the beans are boiling, prep the aromatics. Peel the onion and cut it into thin rings. Dice the tomatoes. Finely chop the garlic. Finely chop the parsley. Prepare everything before mixing the sauce.
When the beans are cooked, drain the water. You want to remove the starchy water. If the skin is loose, throw it away, but traditional piyaz often includes them for texture. If you want a softer texture, peel them gently.
Now the sauce. Mix tahini, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil in a bowl. Mix them together. The mixture will seize up at first. This is normal. Continue mixing. If it is too thick, Add a splash of the bean cooking water You want a creamy, pourable consistency.
Add minced garlic, salt and cumin. Cumin is not negotiable. It grounds the sesame flavor.
Assemble the dish. Take half a teacup of cooked beans and place it on a plate. Drizzle some of the tah
