The following recipes have been converted to U.S. measurements; however, you’ll need the following table when you cook from Georgian cookbooks. Or, visit RusCuisine.com to type in your measurement and get an exact conversion.
Metric |
U.S. |
| 1 milliliter (ml) | 1/5 teaspoon (tsp.) |
| 5 ml | 1 tsp. |
| 15 ml | 1 tablespoon (tbl.) |
| 30 ml | 1 fluid ounce (oz.) |
| 100 ml | 3.4 fluid oz. |
| 240 ml | 1 cup (c) |
| 1 liter (L) | 34 fluid oz. |
| 1 liter | 4.2 cups |
| 1 liter | 2.1 pints |
| 1 liter | 1.06 quarts |
| 1 liter | .26 gallon |
| 1 gram (gr) | .035 ounce |
| 100 gr | 3.5 ounces |
| 500 gr | 1.10 pounds (lb.) |
| 1 kilogram (kg) | 2.205 lb. |
| 1 kilogram | 35 oz. |
Spices in the market, left
Khinkali
One of the most typical Georgian foods is khinkali. (see photo above) These dumplings are made with a variety of fillings; in the mountains it's usually lamb, and in the rest of Georgia it's often beef, pork, or a mixture of the two. Cheese and greens are often used as stuffings, too, especially for holidays. The trick to making good khinkali is to make as many pleats as possible in the dough -- less than 20 pleats is amateurish! Serve hot, with black pepper as the only garnish.
- 1 pound ground beef or pork (or mixture of both)
- 3 small onions, finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
- Pinch cayenne
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1 recipe pastry dough
Mix meat, onions, spices, and stock. Divide pastry dough into 25 balls, then flatten into 6-in circles. Put 2 tablespoons meat mixture in center of each dough round. Close dough by making a "sack." Pleat edges of the dough until dumpling is enclosed, then hold the "stem" in one hand and twist pleats to seal. Cook in salted, boiling water 12-15 minutes. Serve hot.
Some say that the topknot of khinkali is merely a handle, as it is traditionally eaten with the fingers. Others feel that leaving the tasty dough on one's plate is a waste of... well, tasty dough.
Gozinaki (Georgian Christmas Cookies)
- 1 lb. walnuts, chopped in length
- 1-1/2 lb. honey
- 2 tbs. granulated sugar
In large skillet over medium-low heat, roast walnuts until golden, then set aside to cool down. Put honey into a skillet; when warm and thin, add walnuts and sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Place on a wet board. Wetting hands, shape into the rectangle, pressing to break air bubbles. Cut in rectangular, ½ in. thin slices while warm; wipe the blade with a damp cloth between slices.
Churchkhela, left
Churchkhela (Walnut Rolls)
This is a dish that is a long string of nuts that have been dipped repeatedly in a concentrated fresh grape juice to form a confection. (see photo above) Makes 2 strands.
- 40 walnuts halves or whole hazelnuts
- 1 1/2 quarts of white grape juice
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of flour
- Confectioners' sugar
Thread a needle with a 30-inch length of heavy-duty thread. Knot the ends together, doubling the thread. String walnut halves onto the thread long-way through the nuts. (This is not the easier way; most of the nut should be on the string.) Separate nuts into 2 sections without breaking thread. Knot other end of thread and gently push nuts to the knots. You’ll have a 15-inch double strand of thread with 20 walnuts at each end, and only thread in the center. Pick up the strand by the center; this is how the walnuts will hang to dry.
In a large skillet combine the grape juice and sugar. Heat to just below the boiling point. Place flour in a bowl and very gradually stir in the heated juice, whisking constantly so that no lumps form. When about half of the juice has been added to the flour, pour the remaining flour mixture into the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly.
Turn 2 chairs back-to-back with a little space between them. Suspend a thin board (piece of floor molding, 2 broom handles, or anything about 4” wide) over the backs of the chairs. Place newspaper on the floor underneath to catch the drips. Pick up the walnuts by the middle of the thread and slowly dip them into the juice mixture, using a spoon to coat the top sides, if necessary. Slowly pull them up from the juice and carefully drape the thread over the prepared board so that the walnut strands hang down over the newspaper. Allow the nuts to dry for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the coating is slightly tacky.
Then return the nuts to the juice, which has been kept warm, and repeat the dipping process. Allow to dry again for 20 minutes or so. The drier the coating, the better the next layer will adhere. Repeat the dipping process, 8 to 10 times, or until the nuts are completely coated. Leave to dry for 3 to 4 days, until the strands are no longer sticky to the touch. When dry, pull out the strings and dust with confectioner's sugar. To serve, cut the delicacy into rounds.
One GCOF family admits: "We were lucky to be in Georgia during the Christmas season, and we attended a party at the U.S. Embassy. Upon leaving we were given a bag of traditional sweets, most of which we identified and savored. But there was this brownish thing that looked like a bumpy hand-dipped candle. We didn’t know what to do with it. We showed it to our 18-month old Georgian daughter, hoping she had experience with it. She banged it on the table. Not wanting to admit our ignorance to our hosts, we eventually threw it away. Now we know we missed a delicious Churchkela!”
Khachapuri
Serves 6 regular people or 4 Georgians
- Dough:
- 2-1/2 pints plain yogurt
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- about 3 cups of flour
- For the filling:
- 4 cups white cheese*
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
To make the dough mix together the yogurt, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and knead to make a soft but not sticky dough.
For the filling, mix together the cheese and the beaten eggs, mashing into a smooth paste. Set aside.
To make the khachapuri, divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured board into a 12 inch round. Divide the filling into four portions. Place one portion on the dough, smoothing out to about once inch from the edge. Fold over the dough towards the center to cover, rolling smooth with a rolling pin to seal the top. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a generous spoonful of butter and place the khachapuri seam-side down, cover and fry until golden brown. Turn and fry the other side, adding more butter to the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and fillings. Serve cut in wedges, hot or cold.
* About the cheese: It is difficult to recreate an authentic khachapuri without the Georgian cheese. Try tvarog or another soft, white cheese.
The Pickle Man
, below
