Tkemali is a Georgian sweet and sour sauce that goes well with meat dishes. About its preparation according to the classic recipe, as well as about the preparation of delicious seasoning for the winter, we will describe in this article.
What need to take plums
To prepare the sauce, you will need tkemali plums (alycha), red or yellow. However, you can take other varieties (Hungarian, turn).
Important! Depending on what flavor I would like to get (sweet or sour), you should choose the appropriate plum - sweet or sour. Fans of sour taste cook the sauce from the immature cherry plum.
The color of the finished seasoning will also vary from greenish yellow to deep red due to the raw materials selected. 
We recommend to read about how to make gooseberry sauce at home.
Kitchen equipment and appliances
For cooking, you need the following inventory:
- a bowl;
- pan;
- sieve;
- blender / grinder;
- board;
- knife.
Ingredient list
The estimated amount of ingredients in the recipe is such that, as a result, the product will be enough for harvesting for the winter for festive meals, and just to be pampered with a spicy summer flavor in the cold season. 
For the classic sauce will require:
- plum - 8 kg;
- ombalo (mint variety, dried) - 2-3 tablespoons;
- garlic - 6-7 large teeth;
- fresh cilantro - 1 bunch;
- coriander (cilantro seeds), ground - 2-3 tablespoons;
- Coriander (seeds not ground) - 2 tablespoons;
- hot red pepper - 3-4 pieces or 0.5 teaspoon dry;
- Cerets (fennel) - 2 tablespoons;
- salt, sugar - to taste (approximately 3 tablespoons).
You will probably be interested to read about the peculiarities of growing such plum varieties as homemade, Hungarian, Chinese, peach and shumbles.
Step by Step Cooking Process
Tkemali is very easy to prepare. After all the ingredients are collected, you can proceed to the preparation:
- Drain my, remove the stem, pour into a container and pour cold water so as to cover it all.
Did you know? This word, sauce, comes from the Latin salsus - "salty". In ancient Rome, a special variety of this seasoning, "garum", made from fish, was very popular.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, until the flesh begins to move away from the stone.
After that, wipe it through a sieve. The water in which the plum is boiled is left a little (perhaps the sauce will be thick, so you can dilute it a little with this broth).
We advise you to read about how to make jam and tincture of plums, how to pickle plums, cook compote, make plum wine and make prunes.
- Plum puree, which received after rubbing, put on a small fire. Fresh cilantro (can be replaced with parsley) and hot peppers are ground in any convenient way (with a knife, blender, meat grinder).
- In the boiling puree add all the spices, salt, sugar and cook for about half an hour. If necessary, dilute the sauce with decoction, as indicated above.
After that, wipe it through a sieve. The water in which the plum is boiled is left a little (perhaps the sauce will be thick, so you can dilute it a little with this broth).
Important! In some recipe variations, it is recommended flood cherry plum by water not completely, but only so that the water covered the bottom. In this case, there is a risk of burning, but the taste of the finished product will be more saturated.Video: cooking sauce "Tkemali" at home
What to apply to the table
Served very tasty sweet and sour sauce tkemali cold to meat, fish, any side dishes and vegetables. Depending on which plum tkemali were boiled from, it would be better to set off different dishes:
- red sweet is served to meat, fish and kharcho;
- yellow and green is perfect for dishes from potatoes or pasta.
Check out the recipes for cooking tomato paste, Korean salad from zucchini, green tomato and salted cabbage in Georgian, assorted vegetables, horseradish with beetroot, adzhika, caviar from patissons, carrots, eggplants.
Where and how much can be stored
When preparing for the winter, the sauce is poured into sterilized jars with a capacity of not more than 0.5 liters, and is closed with a lid. Store closed cans in a dark, cool place (storeroom, basement) for no more than one year. In the open form must be kept in the refrigerator and not more than a few days. 
Did you know? In Georgia, for plum is a variety of applications: the preparation of compote, pita, or even dyeing fabrics.
So, making a handmade tkemali in an ordinary kitchen is an easy task, not requiring much effort, expense and time. This sauce, cooked with his own hands, during the cold season, with its spicy and slightly sour taste, will add some heat to sunny Georgia to any dish with which it will be served on the table.
Reviews from the network
Peel the plums and steam them. Mince the plum grinder. Garlic, dill, basil and celery, stir and boil for 20 minutes. Spread in half-liter jars and roll up.
