Plum Tkemali

These yellow fruits are the basis for the Caucasian sauce - plum tkemali. Quite sour, with a slight sweetness, the taste of such a plum ensures reliable storage of the preparation without the use of vinegar and other acidifiers, even without sterilization.

A large amount of specific herbs, hot pepper, garlic, and dry spices transform the sweet and sour plum mass into one of the best sauces for meat.

Yield: 2 jars (one jar 250 ml, the second 100 ml).

Cooking time: 40 minutes.

Caloric content: 42 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Ingredients

• yellow varieties of plums - 700 g;
• basil - bunch;
• cilantro - bunch;
• young garlic - 1 large bulb;
• rock salt - 17 g;
• white sugar - 15 g (this is for ripe sweet berries, for more sour plums the amount can be increased to 22 g);
• dried hot pepper - half a teaspoon;
• ground coriander - half a teaspoon;
• khmeli-suneli - half a teaspoon;
• water mint (ombalo) or ordinary mint - 2 sprigs.

If tkemali is to be preserved for winter, then immediately sterilize the jars and lids.

Preparation

1. Prepare the necessary ingredients for making plum tkemali.

2. Place the plums, not removing the stones, in a saucepan and cover with water, leaving 2-3 cm from the top of the plums.

3. Add the mint sprigs here, which will give the sauce a fresh, very persistent aroma.

4. Now the plums need to be softened by boiling for 4-5 minutes.

5. Use a slotted spoon to retrieve all the fruits along with the mint and transfer them to a sieve, which is placed over a suitable container. Do not pour out the remaining liquid - it may be useful for thinning the sauce if it turns out too thick.

6. Wait about 10 minutes for the scorching steam to escape from the plums. Then, using your hands, mash the mixture through the fine holes, discarding the stones, skins, and overcooked mint.

7. Return the resulting plum puree to the original saucepan.

8. In a chopper, place the basil leaves and garlic. Grind them together.

9. Add cilantro and chop everything again.

10. Transfer the chopped herbs into the puree.

11. Add salt and sugar, definitely tasting the result.

12. Add the dry spices here.

13. Add a little (70 ml) of plum broth to make the sauce thinner. Cook it for 5 minutes from the moment it starts boiling. Reduce the heat, as bursting bubbles can splatter the hot mass.

14. Pour the hot sauce into jars and seal them with lids.

If desired, tkemali from plums can be consumed immediately after preparation. It can be stored in sealed jars in a cool place until the next harvest. This wonderful spicy sauce with a natural acidifier is suitable for both meat and fish, give it a try!