Indispensable components of Georgian national cuisine are fresh vegetables, fruits, all kinds of greens and various seasonings based on these products.
For example, plum
tkemali sauce is an ideal addition to meat, fish, poultry or any side dish. It is prepared from red or yellow fruits of wild plum of the same name, which grows mainly in the western regions of Georgia. The unique flavor of the seasoning excites appetite, and its sweet and sour taste with a sharp note and beautiful color add to any dish of sophistication.
How to make plum tkemali
For a classic sauce, red or yellow cherry plum is used - it is these tiny Georgian plums that are called “tkemali”. However, in the absence of wild cherry plum, other unsweetened plum varieties can be used . Tkemali from plums possesses astringency and aroma due to the presence in its composition of various herbs, spices and garlic. For example, an essential ingredient in a “real” plum sauce is ombalo mint, which is also called a flea. It has a pleasant mint-lemon flavor, but, unfortunately, this plant is rarely found outside of Georgia. As for the other components, they are all easily accessible in our area. It should also be noted that the recipe below is not a strict directive, since any dish should be prepared on the basis of your own taste preferences.
Georgian plum tkemali
Ingredients: for 1 kg of cherry plum, a little more than one teaspoon of salt, 3 tsp. sugar, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 1 chili pepper (lovers of hot can increase this amount), 30 grams of fresh dill, ombalo mint and cilantro, 1 tbsp. l ground coriander and dry mix sunili.
Cooking method
The washed cherry plum should be put in a pan, pour 100 ml of water and cook over low heat under a tightly closed lid until completely boiled. The degree of readiness of the drains can be easily determined by their appearance: after about 20 minutes, the plum of the cherry plum will crack, and the flesh will easily lag behind the bone. After about 30 minutes, when the fruits are boiled to a puree state, they are transferred to a colander or small sieve, where they are carefully ground, squeezing the puree into a separate container, so that only skins and seeds remain in the sieve. The resulting mass should again be brought to a boil, seasoned with dry ingredients (salt, sugar, coriander and suneli) and mix well. Then, in tkemali from plums, put well washed and finely chopped greens and chili pepper, which must first be cleaned of seeds and also very finely chopped. The last in the sauce is added garlic, passed through a press. The finished mass is thoroughly mixed and put on a slow fire for 8-10 minutes, constantly stirring it.
Everything is ready from plums, but it should be remembered that it is impossible to immediately evaluate its taste, because the sauce will acquire the necessary sharpness and astringency no sooner than after 4 days. Therefore, do not rush to add spices. The amount of sugar and salt depends on the desire of the hostess, but the correct taste of tkemali is sweet and sour. Store the finished sauce in the refrigerator.