Georgian Corn Pancakes (Mchadi-Style)

About This Recipe

Mchadi are the everyday cornbread pancakes of western Georgia (Samegrelo and Imereti), traditionally cooked on a flat clay griddle called a ketsi and eaten alongside sulguni cheese or beans. This version keeps the coarse cornmeal texture that makes mchadi distinct from smoother American cornbread — the batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when patted into a disc by hand, not poured. A touch of lime and toasted walnuts nods to Georgian sauces like bazhe, which lean on walnut and citrus for brightness, though the pancakes themselves stay simple and rustic. Frying in butter rather than neutral oil gives the crust a rounder, nuttier flavor that plain cornmeal needs. Served warm with sour cream or a wedge of salty cheese melted over the top, these pancakes work as breakfast, a side for stewed beans (lobio), or a quick snack with tea — a genuinely everyday dish in Georgian households rather than a special-occasion one.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupsfine cornmeal
• 0.5 cupall-purpose flour(or gluten-free blend)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 1.25 cupswarm water
• 3 tbspunsalted butter(for frying)
• 0.25 cupwalnuts(toasted and chopped)
• 1lime(zested and juiced)
• 150 gsulguni or mozzarella cheese(sliced, optional topping)
• 0.5 cupsour cream(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Whisk cornmeal, flour and salt together. Stir in warm water gradually until you have a thick, sticky dough that holds together when pressed.

   The dough should be much stiffer than pancake batter — closer to a thick porridge.

2. 2

   Rest briefly

   Let the dough rest 10 minutes so the cornmeal fully hydrates and softens.

3. 3

   Shape the discs

   With wet hands, form the dough into 4-6 flat discs about 1.5 cm thick.

4. 4

   Fry until crusted

   Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the discs 4-5 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp at the edges.

5. 5

   Add cheese if using

   In the last minute of cooking, lay a cheese slice on top of each pancake and cover the pan briefly so it softens.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and a little lime zest, and serve hot with sour cream on the side.

Variations

• •

  Traditional version skips the lime and walnuts entirely and is simply cornmeal, water, salt and butter.

• •

  Add a tablespoon of grated cheese directly into the dough before shaping for a richer crumb.

• •

  Serve alongside lobio (Georgian bean stew) instead of sour cream for a heartier meal.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and hot. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat in a dry skillet to re-crisp rather than microwaving, which makes them soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions