Open Sesame Roundup

June’s edition of Think Spice was hosted in my blog and the spice I selected was sesame seeds. Here is an assortment of dishes that used this wonderful spice.

Starters / Snacks

Sharmin’s Til Pitha is a delicacy from Assam which is generally made only on special occasions.

Need a delicacy from the Malaysian cuisine? Try Sudha’s Deep Fried Sesame Balls which is famous tea time snack and a delicacy during the Chinese new year celebration.

Sara sends in Sesame Chicken Satay which she has prepared a number of times after watching it on a food network. Serve this as a starter or as a main course.

Dips

We love to have tasty dips with our snacks and here is one such dip that is tasty and can be prepared from the scratch and its exquisite taste is from 2 special ingredients. Want to know what they are? Nupur lets out her secret in Baba Ghanouj

Main courses

We have 3 versions of sesame seed rice

EC has a flavorful Ellu Hora that is sure to delight your senses.

Ellorai from Shanthi to please your palett.

And, PJ’s Sesame Seed Flavored Rice, a recipe that she got from her mom

When you want a quick and lite breakfast/lunch yet expect it to be nutritious and something kids will like, then u have PJ’s Sesame-Vegetable Noodle

A flavorful breakfast/snack from PJ Ellu Sevai that can be prepared in an instant.

Veggies!!!

Srilakshmi prepared the signature dish of Hyderabad – Bahara Baingan. She loves brinjal and says this dish has a heavenly taste!!

Life takes sudden turns when least expected!! The same happened to Srilakshmi, in cooking that is. She and her room mate started off to prepare aloo kurma but landed up with Capsicum Masala

Pari has her family favorite Okra in Poppy and Sesame Seeds which can be served as a side or just eaten plain without rice/roti coz its so delicious!

Stuffed Green Chillies Curry from Usha Rao is a curry that can be prepared in 10 minutes!!

Graziana’s String Beans with Sesame Seeds can be served as a main course as well.

Needn’t travel to Morroco to taste their dishes coz Paritha has her Sesame Roasted Potatoes, a Moroccan dish, which tastes heavenly and is a breeze to prepare.

Priya’s Bokchoy Stir Fry is an utterly delicious dish that goes well with plain rice and can be prepared in 5 minutes!!

Baked goodies

Sesame seeds never fail to find their place in baked goodies and here are some classic examples.

Bindhya’s Garlicky Potato Buns are for those who want a quick bite that can be prepared with minimal fuss.

Priya has grouped together a whole bunch of healthy stuff in her – Savory Sesame and Spinach Buns. It makes a quick dinner with a creamy dip and a soup or can be taken along for picnics.

Another delight from Priya – A Morrocon one – Khobz, whose taste enhanced by the use sesame seeds and it a good accompaniment for vegetable soups.

Spice mixes

Spice mixes are a part and parcel of a south indian meal. Srivalli’s Chutney Powder with Curry Leaves, Coriander Leaves & Sesame Seeds is a lovely version of spice mix that is different from the lentil based spice mixes.

If you want a lentil based spice mix try PJ’s Sesame Seed Spice Mix which has lentils and sesame seeds with a hint of garlic.

Yet another spice mix from Jaya – Sesame Peanut Chutney, a dining staple in her household.

Desserts

Don’t we all love to finish off a meal with a dessert. Well, here they are,..

Niveditha’s Sesame Seeds Poli, a sweet from North Karnataka.

Ellu Urundai from PJ is so easy that you have a dessert ready by the time you say its name!!

If you want to prepare 10 sesame dishes, here is one for you, Ramki’s 10 Simple Sesame Recipes

Having feasted your senses on all these goodies, here is some food for thought. PJ’s Tit-Bit’s gives you some interesting informations about sesame seeds.

I had a great time hosting, cooking and compiling this wonderful event. Hope you too enjoyed these scrumptious dishes. Do try them out. Happy Cooking!!!