What to use instead of toasted sesame seeds
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Nutty crunch scattered on at the end
Toasting drives off the water and develops the nutty compounds, and the small hard crunch is as much of the point as the flavour.
Black sesame seeds for white, or the reverseRan out
1:1
Black seeds are slightly more bitter and completely change how the plate looks.
Toasted sunflower seeds, roughly choppedRan out
1:1
Softer crunch and a milder taste, and they stay visible rather than disappearing into the dish. The usual answer for a sesame allergy.
Toasted pumpkin seeds, choppedRan out
1:1
Bigger, greener and chewier. They read as a topping rather than a coating.
FurikakeRan out
1:1, and season the dish lighter
Brings nori, salt and sugar with the sesame, so the rice underneath needs less of everything.
Poppy seedsRan out
1:1
Much finer and more bitter. Almost no crunch, so this is a visual swap.
What doesn't work: Raw sesame seeds tipped straight from the bag. Untoasted they are bland and slightly waxy, and five minutes in a dry pan until they smell nutty and start jumping is where all the flavour comes from.
Ground into a paste or pressed into a coating
Ground seed releases its oil, which thickens a dressing or binds a crust to the food.
Tahini, in a dressingRan out
2 tbsp per 1/4 cup toasted seeds
Smooth and thick with no crunch, and it emulsifies the dressing so it stops splitting.
Ground toasted sunflower seedsRan out
1:1
Milder and starchier, and the paste comes out paler and needs more salt.
Dukkah, as a coatingRan out
1:1
Brings coriander, cumin and hazelnut with it, so drop those spices from the recipe.
Toasted sesame oil, for aroma onlyRan out
1 tsp per 1 tbsp seeds, added off the heat
All the aroma and none of the texture. Add it at the very end or it turns bitter.
What doesn't work: Sesame oil in place of seeds in a crust. Oil cannot build a crust. It makes the coating slide off and the surface steams instead of crisping.