By Lina Qadri

Tahini is an essential ingredient that I use in my personal and professional kitchen. I add it to desserts, salads, and main courses, and I would even dare to say that tahini works in every meal! This is why I decided to share a very special recipe that uses tahini in an unfamiliar way.

We get our tahini from our family in Nablus. My kids have grown up frequenting the factory and staining their school uniforms with the paste as they were coming back from school. Lovely memories! The smell of sesame seeds is very grounding, and let’s not get started on the benefits! To sum it up, no matter what your diet, tahini is your best friend. It is highly nutritious, full of good fats, protein, antioxidants, and many other properties that boost your immunity and strengthen your body. Tahini is physically and spiritually fulfilling, and it is this feeling of security, familiarity, and richness that we try to achieve in this very bowl.

Ingredients
1 cup yogurt (preferably dairy-free) or (almond/soy/oat) milk
2 tbsp honey (or your choice of maple syrup, date syrup, or molasses)
4 tbsp tahini
– A sprinkle of turmeric (or cinnamon)
1 banana
2 tbsp walnuts
2 tsp coconut shreds
1 tbsp pistachios
10 almonds
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flaxseed
1 tbsp black seeds
3 strawberries
3 tbsp roasted oats
– half an apple

Method 
– Mix the yogurt with the turmeric, honey, and tahini in a bowl.
– Put one layer of oats on top of the yogurt.
– Slice the banana into circles and place them on the oat layer in a crescent shape.
– Cut the apple and the strawberries and add them next.
– Add the almonds, pistachios, coconut shreds or flakes, and seeds.
– Glaze with more tahini and honey (or its replacements).

We encourage you to add seasonal fruits of your preference. During the summer season, you can add cherries, peaches, or apricots.

Enjoy your tahini in this sweet bowl! Try it in other dishes too.

Sahha o afyeh!

Lina Qadri and her daughter Farah Qamhia run their family restaurant, Comfort Soup, in Ramallah. They can be reached via social media at Comfort Soup.