10 recipes of Georgian tkemali sauce: culinary experiments and fireworks of flavors

To cook Georgian tkemali sauce is another task. It's not so much the technology as the selection of ingredients. The acidic plum variety of the same name is distributed mainly in Georgia and in some areas of Bulgaria. Another key component of the sauce is ombalo spice or marsh mint, which is very difficult to get outside the Caucasus. But for resourceful housewives, replacing components without losing taste is not a problem.

Tkemali Recipe: 10 Options

Both cooks and housewives consider it their duty to make their own adjustments to the sauce recipe. From hundreds of dish options, you can choose the ten most successful.

From cherry plum to meat

Features The optimal replacement for Tkemali sour plum is cherry plum. In terms of texture and acid content, these fruits are very similar, and therefore only a professional chef or native Caucasian will notice the substitution. The recipe for homemade yellow cherry plum tkemali sauce will appeal to lovers of spicy meat dishes.

You will need:

• 1 kg of yellow cherry plum;
• a third of a glass of water;
• head of garlic;
• a bunch of dried dill;
• two teaspoons of coriander;
• as much dried mint;
• salt and red pepper at your discretion.

Cooking

1. Pitted fruits, pour the specified amount of water and heat for half an hour.
2. Strain. Do not pour out the liquid, it is still useful in the cooking process.
3. Pass the fruits through a sieve to make a smoothie.
4. Heat mashed potatoes, gradually adding previously drained liquid.
5. When the mixture becomes thick, like sour cream, add spices and salt.
6. The sauce must be cooked for another five minutes until cooked.

With peppers for the winter

Features Summer is the time to make homemade preparations, the aroma of which can be enjoyed all winter. The homemade tkemali sauce recipe can be slightly transformed by adding juicy pepper to it. The last component significantly expands the scope of the sauce. The supplement is suitable not only for meat, but also for vegetable side dishes. According to a similar recipe, you can make a sauce of thorns instead of plums.

You will need:

• 1 kg of eel;
• five sweet peppers;
• hot peppers;
• two heads of garlic;
• two tablespoons of sugar;
• salt, pepper at your discretion.

Cooking

• Remove the seeds from the corner, peel the peppers from the seeds.
• In a meat grinder, chop plums, peppers, garlic. Put sugar and spices in the mixture.
• Heat the billet until it boils, and then another quarter of an hour.
• Distribute the finished product among the banks.

In Russian with nuts

Features In the course of adaptation to Russian culinary traditions, the classic plum tkemali recipe was slightly modified. The walnut gave the dish satiety and softness. At the same time, it was possible to preserve the Georgian identity.

You will need:

• 2 kg of plum;
• two tablespoons of sugar;
• a tablespoon of salt;
• half a glass of walnut kernels;
• a third of hot pepper;
• 30 g of dill;
• as many cilantro;
• two cloves of garlic.

Cooking

1. Grind the minced plum in a meat grinder.
2. Boil the mashed potatoes for about ten minutes. It is advisable to constantly mix the sauce with a wooden spatula.
3. Grind nuts, herbs, peppers, garlic. Send the mixture to boiling plum puree.
4. Cook another ten minutes.

In a slow cooker

Features A crock-pot for most housewives has become the main kitchen assistant. It is for cooking in this miracle device that a simple recipe for tkemali with tomato paste is adapted. The advantages of this option are minimal time costs and a simple set of products.

You will need:

• 1 kg of any plums (you can also cook a dish of red or yellow cherry plum);
• half a glass of water;
• head of garlic;
• a teaspoon of salt;
• a tablespoon of sugar;
• a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste;
• chilli;
• hops-suneli at your discretion.

Cooking

1. Pour the fruits with water and warm them up for half an hour in the "Stew" mode.
2. Grind the plums through a sieve.
3. Pour the mashed potatoes into the bowl again and cook it for three minutes in the “Steam” mode.
4. Squeezed garlic, pepper, tomato, salt, sugar and spices add to the sauce.
5. Warm the dish again in steam mode for three minutes.

Sweet tomato

Features Ketchup lovers are advised to cook tkemali plum sauce with the addition of fragrant fresh tomatoes. It perfectly complements not only meat dishes, but also vegetable stews, pasta and pizza.

You will need:

• 0.5 kg of white plum;
• 1 kg of tomatoes;
• a pair of chili peppers;
• head of garlic;
• a teaspoon of salt;
• a tablespoon of coriander;
• glass of water.

Cooking

1. For half an hour, simmer the tomatoes in water under the lid, after dividing the fruits into several parts.
2. Wipe through a sieve.
3. Remove the seeds from the white plum. Together with garlic and pepper, send it to a meat grinder. Salt and season the puree.
4. Mix the ingredients and boil for 15-20 minutes.

Gooseberry green

Features Despite the fact that it is customary to cook tkemali from plums, the housewives adapted to use any acidic fruits and berries. For example, gooseberries. It is important that the berries are still green. From ripe gooseberries sauce will not work.

You will need:

• 1 kg of gooseberries;
• a bunch of cilantro;
• as many parsley;
• as much dill;
• a tablespoon of lemon balm;
• as much coriander;
• a third of hot pepper;
• head of garlic;
• salt and sugar at your discretion.

Cooking

1. Kill the berries with a blender.
2. Add pepper, herbs and garlic and beat again.
3. Boil the mixture, then add salt, sugar, herbs.
4. Cover the sauce and simmer for ten minutes.

Currant Ruby

Features Another sweet and sour berry that can replace plums is currants. The option is most suitable for meat dishes. The sauce can be made from blackcurrant or from a mixture of different berries. Similarly, we make tkemali from grapes.

You will need:

• 0.5 l of currant juice;
• head of garlic;
• two tablespoons of sugar;
• salt and black pepper at your discretion.

Cooking

1. Boil currant juice.
2. Add salt sugar and spices.
3. After five minutes, turn off the burner and cover the container with a lid.
4. Let the sauce brew for several hours.

Prune winter

Features If you do not have time to prepare tkemali in summer, do not despair, because there is an alternative to fresh plums. No less saturated and bright is the sauce of dried prunes. Just do not use smoked fruits.

You will need:

• 0.5 kg pitted prunes;
• 0.5 l of water;
• three cloves of garlic;
• a teaspoon of salt;
• the same number of hops sunnil.

Cooking

1. Pour the prunes with water and boil. Cook for another five minutes.
2. Drain two thirds of the water. Kill the remaining liquid with a blender.
3. Add salt and spices, and then boil the sauce for ten minutes.

Spicy dogwood

Features In the Caucasian culinary traditions, dogwood is very positive. Due to the spicy aroma and sour taste, it is in perfect harmony with meat. In addition, dogwood is a healing fruit. This is a great reason to make a sauce based on it.

You will need:

• 0.5 kg dogwood;
• two glasses of water;
• a bunch of any greenery (or mixture);
• two hot peppers;
• a teaspoon of sunli hop;
• five cloves of garlic;
• salt, sugar and wine vinegar at your discretion.

Cooking

1. Boil dogwood until soft.
2. Drain, remove seeds from the fruit.
3. Finely chop the dogwood with a knife or kill with a blender.
4. Chop greens, garlic and pepper.
5. Combine the cornel and spices, dilute the mass with the water remaining after cooking the berries, so that the consistency resembles the density of sour cream.
6. Boil the mixture for ten minutes.

Amber from apples

Features Apple tkemali has little in common with traditional Georgian sauce. Nevertheless, it is quite popular. After all, apples are ubiquitous, unlike cherry plum and special sour plums. Apricot sauce is prepared in the same way.

You will need:

• 2 kg Antonovka;
• four cloves of garlic;
• a bunch of greens (mix);
• 2 kg of bell pepper;
• glass of water;
• salt and sugar at your discretion.

Cooking

1. Cook the peeled apples to a boil. Make mashed potatoes.
2. Garlic, herbs and pepper without seeds, scroll in a meat grinder.
3. Boil mashed potatoes, combine with other products and cook for ten minutes.
4. Add sugar and salt.

6 rules for a delicious sauce

The Georgian dish is fraught with many tricks and subtleties. Based on the feedback of cooks and hostesses, six basic rules can be distinguished.

1. Proper plums. Optionally put unripened solid fruits in the dish. It is green plums that will add piquancy and freshness.
2. Optimal dishes. For cooking tkemali choose an enameled pan. Stir the sauce better with a wooden spatula.
3. Do not rush to add herbs. If fresh greens are provided in the recipe, you need to introduce it in the sauce when it cools down a little. This will preserve the taste and vitamins.
4. Grind the garlic well. Make sure that this spice gets into the sauce only in the form of mashed potatoes. Large fragments only spoil the texture of the dish.
5. Shelf life. Freshly made sauce is kept in the refrigerator for a week. This also applies to open cans. After that, he begins to mold.
6. Do not be afraid to experiment. If you did not set yourself the task of reproducing a classic sauce, feel free to clean some and introduce others, new components, to give individuality to your recipe.

For some, tkemali sauce is an addition to a festive dish and even something like a delicacy. And in Georgia it’s a familiar product that is served almost every day. And it's not just the original sour taste. Georgians believe that Caucasian centenarians owe good health to plum sauce. This is another great reason to learn the recipe.

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