I invented Vegan Roasted Sesame Dressing to accompany my Shabu Veggie & Black Rice entree. It's a happy day when we have it for dinner because the recipe makes extra sauce for other meals.
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🏆 Top tip
Take the time to toast and grind sesame seeds at home from scratch. It's the secret to restaurant-style goma dare that's heads above recipes made with tahini.
Some flavors you never forget. That's the case with the amazing sesame sauce I fell in love with many years ago at a Japanese restaurant.
I never obtained the recipe for that memorable dish. But our waiter divulged that the chef's signature rendition included fresh-squeezed orange juice.
This thick, savory sauce, with its lightly sweet and lightly tangy nuances, is crafted with that memory in mind.
📋 Ingredients
- White sesame seeds- Buy organic when you can and use raw hulled sesame seeds.
- Tamari- Enjoy all the umami of soy sauce without gluten.
- Pink salt - I like Himalayan pink salt or sea salt for their extra mineral content.
- Vegan mayonnaise- Because creamy! Use a healthy brand that isn't sweet, like Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise.
- Lime juice- Replaces vinegar for a tart round flavor without harshness.
- Orange juice- Adds more citrusy zing as well as sweetness.
- Maple syrup- A healthy whole food that completes the sweetness in toasty sesame sauce.
👩🏼⚕️ Is it healthy?
Because homemade sesame sauce is made from scratch, you know exactly what's in it. This delicious condiment is plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free, and has none of the artificial additives like MSG typically found in store brands.
🥢 How to use sesame sauce
We love this creamy vegan sesame sauce with shabu-style vegetables and black rice, as mentioned, but you don't have to stop there. Some of our other favorite ways to enjoy goma dare are:
- Dip summer rolls
- Drizzle over sushi
- Serve with grilled vegan skewers
- Spoon on a plate and top with seared tofu
- Inside collard wraps
- Spread on sandwiches
- Thin with a little orange juice for salad dressing
- Toss cold noodles with sesame oil, fold in goma dare, and sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds and scallions.
⏰ Quick from-scratch method
It only takes a few minutes to make toasted sesame sauce. Pan-roasting and grinding sesame seeds is essential before blending in the remaining ingredients. However, the process goes quickly, and the sauce is ready to serve immediately.
♨️ Toast sesame seeds in a pan
Roasting sesame seeds on the stovetop saves energy over using an oven. You can also keep an eye on your seeds to make sure they don't burn, which happens in an instant.
- Use a heavy bottom skillet. An eight-inch cast-iron skillet like this one from Lodge company is ideal for a single or double recipe.
- Preheat your skillet to a medium temperature, and don't add any oil.
- Pour sesame seeds into a skillet and constantly stir with a spatula or wooden spoon while toasting.
- Toast to a light golden color. Seeds will continue to darken when removed from heat.
- Transfer toasted seeds immediately onto a large plate to cool.
👩🏻🍳 How to grind sesame seeds
I love my Krups Spice and Coffee Grinder. I've used it for years and think it well deserves its name; fast touch. You can use other appliances with a small chamber if you use a pulse setting.
- Cool seeds to room temperature before grinding.
- Grind seeds one-half cup at a time if doubling the recipe.
- Grind to a fine meal but don't allow the mixture to release oil and turn into seed butter.
- Sesame meal will become smooth when processed with other ingredients in a blender.
The key secret to this recipe's success is toasting sesame seeds and grinding just before making sauce. Tahini just won't provide the same freshness, fragrance, or depth of flavor.
That's a great question. Believe me, I've tried it because who doesn't want to save time? However, your sauce won't have the same creamy, perfect consistency without making a sesame meal first.
Freshly made Creamy Vegan Goma Dare will last at least one week refrigerated.
More dips and spreads
Let us know if you try this recipe! Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below, and don’t forget to tag a photo #poppyswildkitchenrecipes on Instagram @poppyswildkitchen Aloha!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Roasted Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup hulled white sesame seeds
- 2 TB tamari
- ¼ tsp. Himalayan pink salt or sea salt
- 2 TB fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 TB lime juice
- ¼ cup Vegenaise (vegan mayo, not sweet)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 TB maple syrup
Instructions
Toast sesame seeds
- Roast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir and watch carefully not to burn. When seeds are a pale golden color, remove them from heat.
- Spread toasted seeds on a plate and let cool to room temperature.
Grind sesame seeds
- Place lightly toasted seeds in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Blitz briefly until most of the seeds are powdered. Stop short of the mixture turning to butter.
Blend sesame sauce
- Place sesame meal and remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Serve
- Serve at room temperature for Shabu Shabu or hot pot. Or, pour into a container and chill for salad dressing and dips.
Store
- Vegan Goma Dare roasted sesame dressing lasts well a week refrigerated. Do not freeze.
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