Melanie Hamilton of Savor & Yore is bringing a deliciously tacky dish from Georgia (the nation, not the state) to the ‘Recipes Across the World‘ sequence!
I’ve been residing in Tbilisi—the capital of Georgia, for simply over a 12 months now. On this time, I’ve fallen exhausting and quick for Georgian meals. Whereas many are fast to imagine Georgian meals is only a cousin to Russian delicacies due to their shut proximity and intertwined historical past—they’re tragically flawed.
Because of its distinctive location on the Silk Highway, Georgians adopted a mixture of each international and regional specialties into their weight loss plan, making it probably the most distinctive and numerous cuisines on this planet.
From slivers of eggplant smothered in garlicky walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds to spiced beef stew loaded with walnuts, herbs, and garlic galore, there’s all the time one thing new to attempt. By far, although, the group favourite is Adjarian Khachapuri. Hailing from Georgia’s Adjara area, this buttery, salty, bread boat of cheese is the stuff of desires.
After taking a standard cooking class from an lovely aged couple after which endlessly trialing the recipe on my Georgian buddies, I imagine I’ve lastly harnessed the magic of Adjarian Khachapuri. At the moment I’ll share that magic with you.
Right here’s the recipe for find out how to make Adjarian Khachapuri—basically Georgian cheese bread—at house!
Batumi, Adjara, Georgia
Cultural Context
So, what’s so particular about Adjarian Khachapuri? Nicely, other than being the lovechild of bread and cheese—this dish is inherently Georgian in that it’s equally stuffed with historical past and deliciousness.
The Ajara area was as soon as house to the very best sailors and fishermen within the nation.
The form of the bread symbolizes the boats bobbing on shores of Ajara and the yolk on prime? That’s the solar shining down on the sailors. Within the years since Adjarian khachapuri was born, it has grow to be a staple on the Georgian desk and a favourite amongst locals and vacationers alike.
Ingredients
Makes about 2-4 servings
Dough
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of instant yeast
- 1/4 cup of warm water
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 egg
Filling
- 2 cups of fresh sulguni cheese – grated (can be substituted with feta)
- 2 cups of fresh imeruli cheese – grated (can be substituted with mozzarella)
- 3 tbsp of fresh matsoni (can be substituted with full-fat plain yogurt)
- 1 egg yolk
Roll toward middle
Pinch ends together
Shape the boat
Recipe + Preparation
- Mix together dry ingredients, add in warm water and milk, combine until kneadable. Knead for 5 minutes.
- Cover dough and allow to rise for two hours in the refrigerator
- Once the dough has risen, roll out into a rectangular shape roughly 2 1/2 feet by 1 foot.
- Begin shaping the dough into a ‘boat’ – to do this, roll the wide sides in toward the middle and then pinch the ends together. After that, gently spread open the rolls and begin shaping the boat.
- Add the imeruli, sulguni, and matsoni into the boat and mix lightly with your fingers.
- Heat your oven to 392F/200C and bake in the middle for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through.
- Take your khachapuri out of the oven and gently add the egg yolk to the center – bake again for 1-2 minutes.
- Once finished baking, add a tablespoon of butter on top, and serve hot.
Tips and Tricks
If you are outside the Caucasus region, substitute imeruli and sulguni with equal parts mozzarella and feta. For matsoni, use any full-fat plain yogurt.
Be sure to allow the dough to rise in the refrigerator—this allows the shape to hold better. For extra flavor, line the wide edges with cheese before rolling into a boat shape.
Eat like a local! start by stirring the boat mixture with a fork, then tear off a piece of bread, dip and devour!
Final Thoughts
This is best enjoyed as a side to many Georgian dishes such as khinkali, kharcho, ostri, shashlik and extra!
I hope that this dish conjures up you to go to Georgia and check out all that the nation has to supply. Along with distinctive meals, the tiny Caucasus nation additionally boasts an 8,000-year-old wine tradition simply ready to be explored!
Wish to discover different scrumptious meals from all over the world to make? Take a look at these recipes!
