Isn’t it amazing how the taste and smell of individual ingredients are completely altered when they’re brought together? The smell of parsley, dill, and coriander combined is nailed into my memory so deep, that it'll immediately and involuntarily bring up old memories of my childhood. My family used them in everything... veggie casseroles, stuffed veggie dishes, in sauces, with rice, you name it. At the local Cairo vegetable vendors and in supermarkets, parsley, dill and coriander are abundantly available, and I’ve come to believe that they’re definitely an essential part of our herb-culture here. Each herb has its own distinct (and sometimes overpowering) taste, but there's something rather epic about the combination of these three greens together in particular. Tahini on it’s own is also strangely bitter and overpowering, but this combination of parsley, dill, coriander, and tahini together transform into something else entirely. In this recipe, they come together into this satisfying bright green condiment that only takes minutes to make but goes a very long way!
I use it as a dip with crackers, spooned onto burgers, falafel, and cheese sandwiches, and found it works wonders with guests when placed in a small bowl at the dinner table.
Ingredients:
¼ cup water
1 bunch each of parsley, dill, coriander – washed, drained, with bottom part of the stems removed. They should equal just about 2 packed cups in total.
½ a can chickpeas, washed and drained
½ cup tahini
½ cup plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic
½ a jalapeno
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons olive oil
Method:
Throw everything into a large blender and blend until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape the sides down when necessary.
Store in an air-tight jar or container in the fridge, and enjoy all week!