Georgian on Kvalifood

Adjika

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 02:00:29 +0100

Adjika - kvalifood.com

Adjika is a raw hot pepper paste from Abkhazia and Georgia. The name comes from the Abkhaz word for salt, which gives you a sense of how central salt is to this condiment. The traditional version is nothing more than hot peppers, garlic, salt, and a few spices ground together without cooking. This recipe follows the mainstream Georgian version with the signature spice trio of blue fenugreek, coriander, and marigold, plus fresh herbs.

Bazhe

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 18:06:04 +0100

Bazhe - kvalifood.com

Bazhe is a cold walnut sauce from Georgia, served with poultry, fish, or vegetables. It is made from raw walnuts ground to a fine paste, thinned with water, and seasoned with the classic Georgian spice combination of blue fenugreek, dried marigold, coriander, and chili. The consistency should fall somewhere between thick sour cream and gravy. It is always served at room temperature or chilled.

Makes ca. 300 ml

Tkmeli

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 20:33:00 +0100

Tkmeli - kvalifood.com

Tkmeli (also called makvali) is a raw blackberry sauce from western Georgia, specifically the Racha and Imereti regions. It is made by crushing blackberries with unripe grapes, garlic, fresh herbs, and chili. The sauce is seasonal, prepared when wild blackberries are ripe, and traditionally served alongside fried or roasted chicken. It is thin – more of a juice-based sauce than a thick puree.

Makes ca. 350 ml

Garo

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 06:32:16 +0100

Garo - kvalifood.com

Garo is a Georgian walnut sauce made with chicken stock, lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. It belongs to the family of Georgian walnut sauces alongside bazhe and satsivi, but stands apart because the sauce is simmered with stock rather than served raw. It pairs with roasted or grilled chicken and fried fish.

Makes ca. 350 ml

Ingredients

120 g walnut halves (or pieces)
120 ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
25 g fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2-3 cloves garlic (ca. 10-15 g), peeled
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
salt, to taste

1 cup walnut halves (or pieces)
1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems
2-3 cloves garlic (ca. 10-15 g), peeled
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp ground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
salt, to taste

Directions

Grind the walnuts and garlic in a food processor until finely ground – coarse meal, not a paste.
Add the cilantro and pulse until it is chopped into the walnut mixture.
Transfer to a small saucepan. Stir in the stock, lemon juice, coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, and cayenne if using.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken slightly and the raw spice flavors will mellow.
Season with salt. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash more stock. If too thin, simmer a few more minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature alongside roasted chicken, fried fish, or roasted vegetables.

Notes

Blue fenugreek (utskho suneli) is the traditional Georgian spice. Standard ground fenugreek seeds are more bitter – use half the amount if substituting.
For a pomegranate variant (common with fish), replace lemon juice and stock with 120 ml pomegranate juice and 120 ml water. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp minced hot pepper. Saute 2 chopped onions in butter before adding the walnut paste. Omit cilantro, fenugreek, and turmeric.
The sauce can also be made without simmering – just let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours for a fresher-tasting result.
Keeps refrigerated for 3-4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Green Tkemali

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 17:45:19 +0100

Green Tkemali - kvalifood.com

Green tkemali is a Georgian sour plum sauce made from unripe plums in spring. It is tart, herb-heavy, and garlicky, used as a condiment for grilled meat, potatoes, and bread. The traditional plum is the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera), which is very sour compared to Western varieties.

Makes ca. 800 ml

Ingredients

1 kg green (unripe) sour plums
1 garlic bulb (ca. 50 g), peeled and minced
50 g fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
80 g fresh dill fronds, finely chopped
20 g fresh spearmint leaves, finely chopped
20 g fresh summer savory, stalks tied in a bundle
2 green chili peppers (jalapeno or serrano), finely chopped, to taste
20-30 g sugar (optional, to taste)
salt, to taste
water, to cover plums

2¼ lb green (unripe) sour plums
1 garlic bulb (ca. 2 oz), peeled and minced
2 oz fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
3 oz fresh dill fronds, finely chopped
½ oz fresh spearmint leaves, finely chopped
½ oz fresh summer savory, stalks tied in a bundle
2 green chili peppers (jalapeno or serrano), finely chopped, to taste
½–1 oz sugar (optional, to taste)
salt, to taste
water, to cover plums

Directions

Place the plums in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce to a simmer and add the summer savory bundle. Cook until the plums are completely soft and falling apart, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the plums to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the cooking water. Discard the summer savory bundle.
Press the plums through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, working in batches with a wooden spoon. Push firmly to extract all pulp and juice. Discard stones and skins.
If the puree is too thick, thin with reserved cooking water until it reaches a pourable sauce consistency.
Add the cilantro, spearmint, green chili, and garlic. Season with salt and stir well.
Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Taste and add sugar if the sauce is too sour.
Once boiling, add the dill. Stir and boil for exactly 1 minute.
Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to clean glass jars. Refrigerate.

Notes

Georgian cherry plums are very sour. If using sweeter Western plums (Santa Rosa, greengage), add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to compensate.
Spearmint is the safest substitute for the traditional pennyroyal, which has liver toxicity risks.
Summer savory is infused whole and removed, not chopped into the sauce. If unavailable, omit it.
Refrigerated, the sauce keeps 2-3 weeks. In sterilized jars, it stores for months.

Red Tkemali

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 17:45:19 +0100

Red Tkemali - kvalifood.com

Red tkemali is a Georgian sour plum sauce made from ripe red plums in late summer. It is tart, garlicky, and spiced with anise, used as a condiment for grilled meat, potatoes, and bread. The traditional plum is the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera), which is very sour compared to Western varieties.

Makes ca. 800 ml

Ingredients

1 kg ripe red sour plums
300 ml water
100 g garlic, peeled and finely minced
20 g salt
5 g anise, whole or ground
2 g fresh spearmint leaves (or pennyroyal), finely chopped
20 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped
10 g dried coriander (or 10 g additional fresh cilantro)
5 g dried hot red pepper flakes
10 g sugar (optional)

2¼ lb ripe red sour plums
1¼ cups water
3½ oz garlic, peeled and finely minced
½ oz salt
1 tsp anise, whole or ground
½ tsp fresh spearmint leaves (or pennyroyal), finely chopped
½ oz fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp dried coriander (or 2 tsp additional fresh cilantro)
1 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
2 tsp sugar (optional)

Directions

Place the plums in a deep pot with 300 ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until soft.
Remove the plums with a slotted spoon. Reserve the cooking water.
Press the plums through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, using reserved water to help push the pulp through. Discard stones and skins.
Combine the garlic, spearmint, fresh cilantro, and salt in a small bowl.
Add the garlic-herb mixture, dried pepper flakes, and anise to the plum puree. Stir well.
Heat over very low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Taste and add sugar if needed. Add dried coriander if using.
For short-term storage, cool and refrigerate. For long-term storage, ladle hot into sterilized jars and seal immediately.

Notes

Georgian cherry plums are very sour. If using sweeter Western plums (Santa Rosa, greengage), add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to compensate.
Spearmint is the safest substitute for the traditional pennyroyal, which has liver toxicity risks.
The red variant uses about 5 times more garlic than the green – this is intentional.
Anise is specific to the red variant and should not be added to green tkemali.
Refrigerated, the sauce keeps 2-3 weeks. In sterilized jars, it stores for months.

Satsivi

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 11:18:10 +0100

Satsivi - kvalifood.com

Satsivi is a Georgian cold walnut sauce poured over chicken. The name comes from “tsivi,” meaning cold – this is traditionally served at room temperature or chilled, never hot. The sauce is built on a generous amount of ground walnuts thinned with chicken broth and spiced with blue fenugreek, dried marigold, cinnamon, and cloves. It is a festive dish, often made for New Year with turkey instead of chicken.

Satsebeli

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:56:04 +0100

Satsebeli - kvalifood.com

Satsebeli is a Georgian tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, coriander, fenugreek, and fresh cilantro. The word simply means “sauce” in Georgian, and this tomato version is the most common modern interpretation. It is served as a table condiment alongside grilled meat, potatoes, eggs, bread, and dumplings – essentially the Georgian equivalent of ketchup, but with far more personality.

Makes ca. 800 ml

Ingredients

1.5 kg ripe fresh tomatoes
6 cloves garlic (ca. 30 g), peeled
1 tbsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp blue fenugreek powder (utskho suneli)
1 tsp khmeli-suneli
1 tsp sweet paprika
1-2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
15 g fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1.5 tsp salt, to taste

3¼ lb ripe fresh tomatoes
6 cloves garlic (ca. 1 oz), peeled
1 tbsp ground coriander seed
1 tsp blue fenugreek powder (utskho suneli)
1 tsp khmeli-suneli
1 tsp sweet paprika
1-2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ oz fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1.5 tsp salt, to taste

Directions

Score a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato. Blanch in boiling water for 30-60 seconds until the skins start to split. Transfer to ice water, then peel. Quarter the tomatoes.
Blend or process the peeled tomatoes until smooth. Pour into a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by roughly one-third and noticeably thickened.
While the tomatoes simmer, crush the garlic with the salt using a mortar and pestle, or mince very finely. Mix the crushed garlic with the coriander, fenugreek, khmeli-suneli, paprika, pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Add the garlic-spice mixture to the simmering tomatoes. Stir well and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in the vinegar and fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and heat.
Let cool to room temperature before serving. For preservation, pour the hot sauce into sterilized jars, seal tightly, and invert to cool.

Notes

The consistency should be pourable – thinner than ketchup, closer to a runny pasta sauce. Thin with a splash of water if too thick.
For a shortcut version, use 3 tbsp tomato paste dissolved in 400 ml water instead of fresh tomatoes. Reduce simmering time to 10-15 minutes.
For more heat, add 1-2 tbsp adjika paste instead of or in addition to the pepper flakes.
If blue fenugreek is unavailable, increase khmeli-suneli to 1.5 tsp (it already contains fenugreek).
Keeps 5-6 days refrigerated. Freezes well.