A tangy, garlicky sauce made from sour green or red plums, simmered with herbs, a staple condiment for grilled meats across Georgia.
Georgian Tkemali Sauce is a real, traditional Georgian dish, known as Sour Plum Sauce. A tangy, garlicky sauce made from sour green or red plums, simmered with herbs, a staple condiment for grilled meats across Georgia.\n\nTkemali takes its name from the sour wild plum variety native to Georgia, and this sauce is a cornerstone condiment of Georgian cuisine, traditionally made in both green (early season, tarter) and red (later season, sweeter) versions.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Georgian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 10
Combine plums and water in a pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the plums fully break down and soften.
Push the softened plums through a fine sieve to remove skins and pits, collecting the smooth pulp.
Return the strained pulp to the pot, or blend it with garlic, chili flakes, dill and cilantro until smooth.
Simmer the sauce for another 10 minutes to meld the flavors and reduce slightly.
Season with salt, and sugar if the plums were especially tart.
Let cool completely, then store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator; serve as a condiment with grilled meats, khinkali or bread.
Push the cooked plums through a sieve rather than blending with skins on, for the smoothest, most traditional texture.
Balance the tartness carefully, adding sugar only if truly necessary, since tkemali is meant to have a pronounced sour edge.
This sauce keeps well refrigerated for weeks, making it worth making in a larger batch.
Use unripe green plums for a sharper, more traditional early-season tkemali.
A red plum version, made later in the season, is naturally a bit sweeter.
Add a pinch of ground coriander seed for extra complexity.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Tkemali takes its name from the sour wild plum variety native to Georgia, and this sauce is a cornerstone condiment of Georgian cuisine, traditionally made in both green (early season, tarter) and red (later season, sweeter) versions.
Any tart, under-ripe plum variety works as a substitute, adjusted with a touch more or less sugar depending on natural sweetness.
Stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, it keeps for several weeks to a couple of months.
Grilled meats like mtsvadi, khinkali dumplings and fresh bread are the most classic pairings.
Per serving (40g / 1.4 oz) · 10 servings total
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