How to Make Sesame Paste (Neri Goma)

1. Before You Start: You will need at least 1 cup (120 g) of sesame seeds for a 3-Cup Cuisinart Food Processor to run it properly. If you use less, or use a bigger food processor, the blades will spin without engaging the sesame seeds and you won‘t be able to make a paste.
2. Gather the sesame seeds. Even though your sesame seeds are pre-toasted, we will freshly toast them now to enhance their nutty aroma. Add 1 cup toasted white sesame seeds to an ungreased frying pan and turn on the stove to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, lift it up and shake it constantly over the flame. Toss and turn over the sesame seeds in the pan to evenly toast them. When they are fragrant, turn off the heat and move the pan off the stove.
3. Use a funnel to transfer the seeds to the bowl of a 3-cup food processor. You also can create a funnel using a flexible plastic cutting board. Let the toasted seeds cool a bit. Then, turn on the food processor and grind the seeds for the next 10-15 minutes, or until they become a smooth and creamy paste. (My food processor has “Food Process“ and “Puree“ modes, so I alternated between these settings in this initial grinding phase.) Note: Please remember that these processing times are based on my 3-Cup Cuisinart Food Processor.
4. Initially, the ground sesame seeds will have a sandy texture, like moist graham cracker crumbs. They also tend to stick to the wall of the food processor bowl. Whenever this happens and the blades just spin without engaging the seeds, open the lid and quickly scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula. I did this 4–5 times during this “sandy texture“ phase.
5. Continue to grind the seeds. When you open the lid to scrape down the sides of the bowl, make sure to loosen any seeds that are stuck to the bottom and corners of the bowl.
6. At about the 5-minute mark (with my food processor), the sesame seeds will start to look moister from the oil they‘ve released. If the motor is getting hot, take a short break to let it cool before resuming.
7. You may see the paste turn into a big chunk of a ball. However, it will break up as you continue to process it. You will eventually notice the paste looking even wetter compared to the previous step. Tip: If your food processor is still struggling to grind, you can add just a little bit of sesame oil. Sesame seeds themselves contain oil that naturally releases during toasting and grinding, so it's usually enough to create a thick sesame paste. However, if your food processor is struggling, you can drizzle a little bit of sesame oil onto the seeds to add volume, help bind them, and thin out the paste.
8. Soon, the paste will look less grainy and sandy. Scrape down the sides as needed. Keep going!
9. At about the 10-minute mark, the paste will become more smooth and liquid than in the previous step. We will keep going to make it smoother. If the motor starts to get hot, turn off your food processor for a short while to let it cool.
10. At about the 13-minute mark, the paste will look shiny, creamy, and liquified. Keep processing for another 2 minutes to make it even smoother and release more oil from the sesame seeds. Your paste is now done. Transfer it to a sterilized jar.

To Use

1. You can use Homemade Sesame Paste to make Japanese Sesame Sauce (Goma Dare) for Shabu Shabu, Steamed Vegetables, Cold Tofu or Hot Tofu, Homemade Udon Noodles, Somen Noodles, and homemade sesame salad dressing. You also can make a version with black sesame seeds and use it in Black Sesame Ice Cream and Black Sesame Dan Dan Noodles.

To Store

1. You can store this sesame paste in the refrigerator for up to a month and in the freezer for half a year. Bring the paste back to room temperature before using it.