Meat plum sauce recipe: Georgian and Chinese theme

Culinary experts from many countries in various parts of the world have long paid attention to these juicy and tender fruits. A recipe for plum meat sauce is present in several national cuisines at once. This is called, for example, one of the most common Chinese seasonings, quite often used to prepare national dishes. And the Georgian recipe for plum sauce for meat - tkemali - is probably distributed throughout the post-Soviet territory. Thus, they use juicy fruits almost everywhere where they grow, adding their national flavor to the dish. But the basis remains unchanged: various varieties of plums, seasonings, spices, sometimes other vegetables and fruits. Each plum sauce recipe for meat has its own original and unique taste, proven over the centuries. Let's start with the well-known tkemali - the legendary dish of Georgian cuisine.

Plum sauce for meat. Recipe from sunny Georgia

An amazing taste is given to it by a special sort of plum, common in Georgia. Already in mid-spring, the first fruits of a plum spread wide (cherry plum) appear here. These fruits are not yet fully ripe and are used to make tkemali. It is served to many, mainly meat dishes. It is prepared throughout the summer, and friends, neighbors and relatives are invited to feasts according to the existing tradition: Georgia is a very hospitable country. In different parts of the country, the recipe for plum meat sauce can vary, but Georgian flavor always remains.

What you need for cooking tkemali

1. Cherry plum is green, sour, not quite ripe.
2. Ombalo - marsh mint. True, it is rather problematic to get it outside Georgia, but if you are going to do everything according to the rules, you will have to work hard. Usually they get it at the market from Georgian or other eastern spices sellers.
3. Garlic is an important ingredient. Many oriental dishes cannot do without it.
4. Mandatory: cilantro and dill, coriander and red pepper. Sometimes other seasonings are added. Well and salt - where without it.
   

Cooking

Tkemali - plum sauce for meat. The recipe for cooking it is not so complicated. The main thing (if you have all the necessary ingredients in stock) is to follow the sequence of actions, temperature conditions and cooking time.

1. Sour plum (take a whole bucket - 10 kg, so that it is enough for preservation, otherwise the sauce turns out so delicious that it is eaten very quickly), it is necessary to thoroughly rinse and sort it out. Then we cook it in a large capacity for about 40 minutes, pouring it with water so that it covers the product.
2. Then we wipe the plum through a large sieve, at the same time pulling out the bones and removing the peel. It turns out the pulp consistency of mashed green. We continue to cook mashed potatoes on a small fire.
3. When the creamy consistency is reached, we introduce seasonings in a rather large amount, previously crushed and chopped, crushed garlic or finely chopped, bitter red pepper. Here you already vary the amount yourself: you like more sharply - more pepper and garlic, if not, then we prefer herbs and spices (based on about a bunch of herbs and a head of garlic for every kilogram of the main product - plums). Be sure to add a small teaspoon of marsh mint. She will add extra piquancy to the dish.
4. We thoroughly knead everything in a bowl and turn it off almost immediately, since many spices do not like prolonged heat treatment. Our tkemali sauce is ready. Let’s let him insist and can be served.
5. If you intend to prepare it for the future, then you can use half-liter glass jars. Spread the sauce and sterilize it right in the banks for a while. Then roll up.

A few secrets from experienced chefs

• When cooking, plum puree is constantly stirred with a wooden spatula, otherwise it may burn.
• Do not add vinegar in any case, even during conservation.
• When preparing for the winter, a spoonful of vegetable oil is added under the cover. This prevents the sauce from spoiling.
  

Chinese plum sauce for meat. Recipe with photo

The Chinese this seasoning is also quite in demand and is often used along with some dishes. Chinese plum meat sauce (recipe with photo below) is prepared no less than Georgian. It's all about the ingredients, which differ quite significantly. Another fundamental difference is the use of vinegar. It tastes sweet and sour, spicy and spicy.

Ingredients

• Sweet and sour plums (prunes) - 1.5 kg.
• Two heads of onions.
• Fresh ginger (root) is a piece about 2 cm long.
• A pair of chives.
• Half a glass of brown cane sugar and as much white.
• Half a glass of apple or rice vinegar.
• A small spoonful of coriander seeds.
• At the tip of the knife: cinnamon, cloves ground, cayenne pepper, salt to taste.
  

Cooking

Usually stewed plum sauce for meat (Chinese recipe) is prepared from plums that have been removed and peeled. Scaling of fruits with boiling water will help to cope with this.

1. We extinguish the plums, poured into a glass of water over a shallow fire until puree for about 30 minutes. To achieve this, you can use a blender first.
2. Grind ginger, onion, garlic and put into mass. Add other ingredients there too. We extinguish for about 40 minutes on low heat itself - the mass should slightly gurgle, not boil. Stir constantly with a wooden spatula, otherwise it may burn!
   
3. After the specified time, pour the hot plum sauce for meat into the banks. The winter recipe already includes the required amount of vinegar, so you can safely roll up, previously pasteurizing in boiling water for 30 minutes.