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Early this year, while prepping for one of my use-it-up, stir fry workshops, I realized I had run out of toasted sesame oil. A small amount of this oil drizzled in a stir fry—and many other savory dishes—adds an inversely proportional wallop of nutty, savory, umami flavor. I didn’t want to go without it in the demo. But I also didn’t want to go to the store. So I quickly “made” delicious toasted sesame oil.
Ingredients and tools
You need only two ingredients—sesame seeds and oil. I almost always have both on hand—unless I’ve run out of these too! Buy raw white hulled sesame seeds. You’ll find these in any grocery store. As for the oil, choose a neutral-tasting one. I use avocado oil or grapeseed oil. Both work well.
Making toasted sesame oil, in pictures
I’ve been making and eating lots of congee—Asian rice porridge—and just a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil takes the dish from tasty to omg-is-there-any-left.
What to do with the leftover sesame seed pulp
After straining, you’ll have a small amount of sesame seed pulp on your hands. If you read this blog, you probably avoid throwing out food. Sneak a small amount of the pulp into dishes. Due to the strong toasted flavor and the grainy texture, you may want to add only a teaspoon or two, depending on what you make—and taste as you go. I added one teaspoon to the batch of granola pictured below. We couldn’t stop eating it!
Don’t worry, you don’t have to make all the things yourself!
To reduce waste, you do not need to make every staple yourself. I will still buy toasted sesame oil sometimes. But when I need just one thing, I raid my cupboards for an equally tasty substitution. Substituting ingredients prevents food from going to waste, puts shopping off for another day and saves money.
Toasted Sesame Oil
With sesame seeds and neutral oil, you can make your own toasted sesame oil
- ¼ cup raw white hulled sesame seeds
- 1 cup neutral oil grapeseed oil or avocado oil
To stop the seeds from over-browning, have a glass measuring cup or bowl nearby to pour the mixture into immediately after toasting (I use the cup I measured the oil in). This will halt the cooking.
Place the sesame seeds and oil in a small sauce pan. Toast over medium heat and stir often until the seeds have turned golden brown (not dark brown), 12 to 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into the nearby glass measuring cup or bowl.
After the mixture cools, purée it in a high speed blender until smooth.
Place a sieve over a bowl. Line the sieve with a tightly woven thin cloth such as muslin. Pour in the mixture. After gravity has strained out most of the oil, push down on the sesame seed pulp with the back of a spoon to extract as much oil as you can.
Scrape the toasted sesame seed pulp out of the cloth-lined sieve with a spoon and place it in a small jar. Pour the oil into a medium-size jar. Store both in the refrigerator. They will keep for several months.
