Techinah with Veggies
Recipe by Brynie Greisman

Techinah is the quintessential dip in Eretz Yisrael. We dip our challah and pita in it, drizzle (or pour) it over falafel, pour it over salad, and use it in many other dishes as well. There are many different varieties, but I like the classic best. Here, it’s topped with complementary roasted, fresh, and grilled veggies, with a drizzle that adds just the right balance of complexity and sweetness to this dip. The combo is so appealing that one of my guests proceeded to eat it as is, from the serving bowl, without challah!

YIELD 2 CUPS

• 1 cup tahini paste (not prepared techinah dip)
• 1 cup ice water
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic, or to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• small handful fresh parsley

Veggie Garnish

• 1 red pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 eggplant, pierced with a fork
• olive oil, for drizzling
• salt, to taste
• 1 tomato, peeled and diced
• 1 scallion, sliced thinly

Dressing

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp silan
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp maple syrup, or to taste
• tiny pinch salt (optional)

Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Whisk all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place pepper and eggplant on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, raising the oven to broil to char the pepper for the last few minutes. Rotate the eggplant once or twice to ensure even baking.
Remove the pepper from the oven, but leave the eggplant on broil for at least another 10 minutes. I like to leave it in the oven for longer after turning it off so it gets a deep mahogany color.
Let the pepper cool a bit, then peel and dice. (Use only half the pepper if desired.) Peel eggplant and blend with salt.
To assemble, pour 1 cup of techinah into a serving bowl. Put the rest into a container and reserve for future use.
Top with tomatoes, peppers, and blended eggplant. Garnish with scallion. Drizzle lightly with dressing. You can also layer the techinah and veggies so you have two layers of each.

Tips: Ice water ensures that the techinah emulsifies and becomes very creamy. I’ve tried it with filtered tap water, and while the results were satisfactory, they weren’t nearly as delicious as with ice water. Also, for very white techinah, use vinegar instead of lemon juice. Lastly, remaining techinah can be frozen for future use. Techinah freezes beautifully.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 903)