Adjika
A fiery paste that originated in Abkhazia and Mingrelia and is now found on many Georgian tables. It is red chillies ground with garlic, toasted coriander, blue fenugreek and salt — thick, fiery and deeply aromatic. It is used like a seasoning: a little with grilled meat, beans, cheese or soup. In this version sweet red pepper replaces some of the hot chillies, so the adjika is hot, but not overwhelming. It is best after a day in the fridge, once the garlic has mellowed.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Preparing the peppers 20 min
- Toasting spices 5 min
- Grinding 10 min
- Maturing in the fridge 1440 min
Step by step
0 / 8 donePut on gloves
Wear gloves when making adjika — the capsaicin from chillies burns the skin for hours and is easily transferred to the eyes.
Ingredients: 150 g red chillies · 1 pcs red pepper · 12 cloves garlic · 1½ tbsp salt
Prepare the chillies and pepper
Cut the stalks off the chillies. Remove the seeds and white membranes from half of them and leave the rest whole — that is where the heat lies. Core the pepper and cut it into pieces.
Ingredients: 150 g red chillies · 1 pcs red pepper · 12 cloves garlic · 1½ tbsp salt
Seeds out of half the chillies — that is how you set the heat.Peel the garlic
Peel the garlic. There is a lot of it — in adjika garlic is the second pillar of flavour, next to chilli.
Ingredients: 150 g red chillies · 1 pcs red pepper · 12 cloves garlic · 1½ tbsp salt
Toast and grind the spices
Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan 2–3 minutes until fragrant, then grind them in a mortar with the fenugreek to a powder.
Ingredients: 1 tbsp coriander seeds · 1 tsp blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), ground · ½ bunch fresh coriander
Toasted coriander — a fuller aroma.Grind to a paste
Put the chillies, pepper, garlic and fresh coriander through a meat grinder on the fine plate twice, or blitz in a blender to a thick, slightly coarse paste. Do not add water.
Ingredients: 150 g red chillies · 1 pcs red pepper · 12 cloves garlic · 1½ tbsp salt
Twice through the grinder — no water.Season with salt and spices
Mix the paste with the salt and ground spices. There is plenty of salt, because adjika is a seasoning, not a sauce; salt also draws juice from the peppers and slows spoilage, but it does not replace the fridge.
Ingredients: 150 g red chillies · 1 pcs red pepper · 12 cloves garlic · 1½ tbsp salt
Jar and chill
Spoon the adjika into a scalded jar, press down, close and refrigerate for a day. The garlic mellows and the flavours meld.
Ingredients: 150 g red chillies · 1 pcs red pepper · 12 cloves garlic · 1½ tbsp salt
Use as a seasoning
Adjika is very intense — start with half a teaspoon. Serve with kebabs, roast chicken and beans, stir into soup, or into sour cream as a sauce for potatoes.
Ingredients: 1 tbsp coriander seeds · 1 tsp blue fenugreek (utskho suneli), ground · ½ bunch fresh coriander
Before you start
Storage
Keep adjika in the fridge and use it within two weeks; always take it out with a clean spoon. Do not keep it in the pantry — garlic and peppers are low-acid vegetables, and raw garlic in a sealed jar out of the fridge favours the growth of botulism bacteria. For longer storage freeze it in small portions (up to 3 months).
Blue fenugreek
Utskho suneli, or blue fenugreek, has a milder, nuttier aroma than ordinary fenugreek. Look for it in Georgian food shops; it is also part of the khmeli suneli blend. Ordinary fenugreek is more bitter, so use half as much.
Green adjika
Green adjika is made from green chillies, garlic and plenty of coriander and mint. It is fresher tasting and pairs beautifully with fish and cheese.