Aromatic aniseed meets earthy sesame
Join The National and Table Tales on a culinary journey around the Middle East to savour the quintessential dishes that embody the spirit of Ramadan. From table staples to family favourites, this series of recipes – one for each day of Ramadan – pays homage to the holy month and the home cook alike.
Calling for the seeds and the paste of substantial sesame, this power-packed aniseed cake recipe will enhance your suhoor table with its delectable taste and aroma.
Historically, sesame’s hardiness and stamina as a crop were a big part of its popularity in the Middle East. Drought-resistant, it thrived at the height of summer for millennia, when nothing else would grow.
There are a lot of excellent reasons to eat sesame besides its ubiquity. For one, tahini is rich in magnesium, a mineral that is essential to reduce fatigue, balance the electrolytes essential for hydration, boost muscle and nervous system functioning and maintain healthy teeth and strong bones.
Tahini is also rich in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory compounds and antibacterial benefits. It is little wonder that it was touted as one of the year’s trendiest foods in 2019.
For those who want to give it a go, home-made tahini requires hulled sesame seeds ground in a food processor with a touch of oil – start with a few tablespoons – until the mixture becomes smooth and silky.
Aniseed cake with tahini glaze Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients and method for cake ½ cup sesame seeds, divided 2 tsp aniseed, whole 240ml milk, heated
210g granulated sugar 240ml oil
4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 300g flour, sifted 3 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt
3 tsp aniseed powder
● Preheat the oven to 180°C, and grease and flour a 25-centimetre Bundt cake pan. Sprinkle in half the sesame seeds.
● In a small bowl, stir the whole aniseed and hot milk; set aside to infuse for 10 minutes.
● In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and the oil, until blended.
● Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla and beat for one to two minutes until fluffy.
● In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and aniseed powder. Add a third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix using a hand mixer on a low speed until just combined.
● Pour in half of the aniseed-infused milk and mix until just combined. Repeat this process with the remaining flour and milk. Continue to mix on a low speed until there are no lumps in the batter.
● Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds on top of the batter.
● Place on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
● Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes.
Tahini is an Arabic word with its root meaning to grind, and ‘tahin’ is the generic term for flour
Ingredients and method for glaze
1 tbsp unsalted butter 60ml tahini 60ml milk
85g powdered sugar 1 tsp lemon juice
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat.
Whisk in the tahini and milk, stirring until well blended.
Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Whisk vigorously to dissolve any lumps.
To serve
Flip the cake on to a serving platter and drizzle with the tahini glaze while warm.
This dish has been brought to you by Maie Jeneidi and curated by international recipe hunter Hanan Sayed Worrell, author of Table Tales: The Global Nomad Cuisine of Abu Dhabi. The Table Tales concept celebrates the people and stories that give flavour to the recipes of the Middle East