Tkemali is a traditional Georgian sauce. It is sour, sweet and slightly hot, and has a very fresh flavor. It is traditionally made of Tkemali plum.
It goes well with literally any dish; it is even good on its own. It is way better than ketchup! Preparation time is about one hour. it is also an ingredient in Kharcho soup, together with Adjika, which is another Georgian sauce!
Tkemali Sauce Recipe
You will need:
5 cups of wild plums
This is the closest match to Tkemali plums. You can use the unripe or ripe ones depending on your taste. If you can’t get this kind of plums, then regular round plums will do.
5-6 garlic cloves
1 chili pepper. You can vary the quantity to your taste
20 grams of cilantro (coriander)
20 grams of peppermint
20 grams of dill
½ teaspoon of Khmeli-Suneli spice, alternatively you can use Za’atar seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt
3-4 teaspoons of sugar, or less, according to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil is optional
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar is optional
Boil plums in a small pot (minimal amount of water) for about 20 min or until their skin begins to peel and crack. Alternatively, you can steam them in a steam basket or steam oven.
Drain the excess of water, once ready. Puree the plums through a sieve by pushing.
You can use a whisk or any other convenient utensil to puree the plums through the sieve.
Pits and skin that remain can be discarded.
Put the puree back into the saucepan and turn on to medium heat. Add Khmeli-suneli spice, sugar and oil.
Simmer until the puree reaches ketchup consistency.
Blend the rest of the ingredients in a blender; avoid blending too finely. Herbs, garlic and chili pepper should appear as if they are finely chopped. You can also chop them with a knife instead.
Mix all the blended ingredients into the plum puree and add vinegar.
Boil for about 5 more minutes.
Once the sauce is cooled down, it is ready.
It can safely be kept in a refrigerator for two weeks.
Once again, Tkemali sauce goes well with everything or on its own!
