Merab Beradze - Georgian dishes

© Merab Beradze, 2016

© Lia Beridze, translation, 2016

© Yuri Mechitov, photos, 2016

Editor Amiran Melua

Created with intellectual publishing system Ridero

Fresh Herbs

Basil – Rekhani

Celery – Niakhuri

Cilantro – Kindzi

Dill – Kama

Mint – Pitna

Parsley – Okhrakhushi

Summer Savory – Kondari

Dried Herbs & Spices

Cinnamon – Darichini

Cloves – Mikhaki

Coriander – Kindzi

Fenugreek – Utskho Suneli

Marigold – Imeruli Shaprani

Indian Caraway – Dira

Products:

1 turkey

400 g onions

1 tablespoon dry coriander

1 tablespoon utskho suneli

4—5 cloves garlic

1 hot pepper

2 tablespoon pounded saffron (“yellow flower”)

450—500 g dry walnuts

2—3 tables spoon vinegar

2 eggs

Salt, clove and cinnamon to taste

It is truly believed that no Georgian table, especially a festal one, can do without satsivi. So let satsivi introduce you to the Georgian cuisine!

Put a fat well-cleaned turkey into a big saucepan and cover it with water. Close the cover, put the saucepan on the stove and cook for 30—40 min., often removing the scum, until the turkey is ready. Put the turkey on a wooden or enamelled board and salt it from inside and outside. Put the turkey into the stove and cook until the skin turns red. Remove fat from the broth left in the saucepan. Pour half glass of the fat over fine-shredded onions and stew them on a pan until the onion turns pink. Pour broth into the mass and cook for 10—15 min.

Separately prepare the seasoning: pound dry walnuts, dilute them in half glass of vinegar, add pounded dry coriander, utskho suneli (dry spices), saffron, garlic, and pepper and mix. Pass the mass through a sieve, pour it into the broth and boil on a low fire for approx. 20 min, stirring constantly. Let the broth cool, pour in 2 yolks beat up in a spoon of vinegar and stir to prevent the yolk from curdling. Then cut the turkey into pieces, put into a deep dish and pour over the satsivi sauce and some walnut oil.

If you follow the instructions properly, you will have the essence of the Georgian table – His Majesty the Satsivi, so inviting and tasty! True, it takes time to cook satsivi, but it will really enrich your table and everybody is sure to love it!

Enjoy with “Tsinandali” wine.

Products:

50 g walnuts

50 g onions

2 cloves garlic

1 sprig dill

3—4 pomegranates

1 red pepper

Mince walnuts, onions, garlic, coriander, dill, and red peppers; add salt and mix thoroughly. Boil some water, cool it, mix with pomegranate juice, and add in the minced seasoning. Pour in some walnut oil.

Products:

1 kg fatty mutton / lamb meat with bones

1/2 kg onions

1 bunch estragon

Coriander and parsley, 5 sprigs each

1 teas glass fresh tkemali

2 glasses white wine

Pepper and salt to taste

Take fat mutton or lamb meat with bones, cut it into small pieces and put into a saucepan. Pour in some water to cover the meat and cook on a slow fire, then add shredded onions and stew. Add shredded parsley, coriander, estragon, cook for approx. 5 min. and put in some fresh tkemali. When the tkemali is done, pour in some white wine and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy with “Tsinandali” wine or “Mukuzani”

Products:

1 hen, approx. 800—900 g

4 eggs

2 tablespoons vinegar

4—5 bulbs onions

3 teaspoons wheat flour

1 teaspoon dry saffron (“yellow flower”)

1/2 glass finely shredded coriander

Salt to taste

Cut up a fat chicken, put the pieces into a saucepan and stew in their own juice until the chicken meat turns pink. Add onions and finely shredded coriander and stew on a low fire, stirring carefully. Salt to taste, add approximately 10 glasses of cold water, and boil. Mix in some wheat flour and boil for 10 more minutes. Pour in 4 yolks, stir thoroughly and pour in some white vinegar. Dilute 1 teaspoon of dry saffron in 1/3 glass of hot water and leave for 2 hours, then filter. Serve chikhirtma while hot.

Products:

1 kg beef meat

0.5 kg onions

Celery, savoury, parsley, basil – 1 sprig each

4 cloves garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Take some boneless beef meat, beat it and cut into pieces. Sprinkle the meat with salt and black pepper. Fry with shredded onions in its own fat. When the meat and onions turn slightly brown, pour in tomato sauce, vinegar or lemon juice; add minced garlic and pickles (in summer add peeled and chopped tomatoes). Solyanka is better when it has some juice and is a little stinging. Before serving, add shredded dill or parsley.

Enjoy with “Saferavi” wine.

Products:

1 kg beef / mutton

1 kg aubergines

1 kg potatoes

4—5 bulbs onions

Basil, coriander, parsley (4 sprigs each)

1 green pepper

4—5 cloves garlic

Take some fat beef or mutton meat with bones, cut it into pieces, put into a cast-iron pot, add some water and put on the stove. Cut some washed aubergines and potatoes into 4—5 pieces, sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour. When the meat is done, add shredded onions, and stew. Then place a layer of aubergines, a layer of potatoes, garlic, and finely shredded peppers, strew with basil, parsley and coriander. Pour over some grated tomatoes, put the pot on the stove and cook.

Enjoy with “Saferavi” wine.

Products:

1 hen / chicken

5—6 bulbs onions

100 g ordinary / clarified butter

1 kg tomatoes

Parsley, basil, coriander (1 bunch each)

1 pepper

Salt to taste

Cut the chicken into pieces, put them into a saucepan and stew. Add shredded onions, ordinary or clarified butter. When the chicken turns slightly brown, add minced tomatoes, and cook for 20—25 min. Add in finely shredded parsley, basil, coriander, peppers and salt.

Enjoy with “Tsinandali” wine.

Products:

1 chicken

2—3 bulbs onions

1 tablespoon dry suneli

3 sprigs coriander

1 glass walnuts

0.5 glass vinegar

3 cloves garlic

1 pepper

Salt to taste

Take a fat chicken, clean it thorougly, and cut into pieces. Put the pieces into a saucepan and stew. Add finely shredded onions and cook until browned.

Prepare the seasoning: pound some walnuts, dry suneli, garlic and peppers, salt them, mix together, and pour in some vinegar. Cover the chicken with water, pour in the seasoning. Put the saucepan back on the stove and boil up. Serve while hot.

Enjoy with “Tsinandali”, “Rqaciteli” or “Kakhuri” wine.

Wash a chicken, rub with salt and put on a spit. To keep the shape of the chicken, tie the neck and legs to the spit with a wire. Put the spit on fire and turn it round slowly until fried. Untie the chicken, take it off the spit, put on a big plate and serve with tkemali sauce.

Enjoy with “Kakhuri”, “Saferavi” or “Rqaciteli” wine.

Take a chicken, cut down the breast, and rub with salt. Put some clarified butter, vegetable or olive oil on a frying pan and heat up. Put the chicken on the pan, flatten it, put a plate over the chicken and put something heavy on the plate to press it down. Serve the chicken tabaka with tkemali or tomato sauce.

Enjoy with “Tsinandali” wine.

Boil a chicken, cut it into medium pieces, and put into deep plates. Pound some garlic; pour in the broth, and salt. Pour the broth with garlic over the chicken pieces.

Solve pounded garlic in warm water and let it boil with some butter for 3—5 min. Dissect a cleaned chicken along the breast, sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and some red ground pepper and roast flat. Then pour the garlic solution on it and cook for 20—25 min. Serve hot.

Enjoy with “Tsinandali” wine.

Products:

1 kg pork guts

2—3 bulbs onions

2 glasses walnuts

5—6 sprigs savoury

2 cloves garlic

1 pomegranate

Pepper, saffron (“yellow flower”), coriander, suneli to taste

Wash and clean the guts, pour over some water and boil. Leave the guts to cool, take them out of the broth and cut into small pieces. Add finely shredded onions and savoury. Pound walnuts, pepper, saffron, coriander, suneli, garlic, salt the mass and pour in some broth. Add vinegar to taste and season the guts. If the kuchmatchi has little juice, add in some more broth. Before serving, strew with some pomegranate grains.