Adjika
A fiery Georgian-Abkhazian spice paste of hot red peppers, garlic, salt, walnuts, and Caucasian spices like blue fenugreek and coriander. Authentic adjika has no tomatoes; it is ground raw into a red pesto-like paste and used as a rub or condiment.
Ingredients
- 250 ghot red peppers
- 60 ggarlic
- 50 gwalnuts
- 2 tbspground coriander
- 1 tbspblue fenugreek
- 1 tspdried marigold
- 1 tbspred wine vinegar
- 25 gsalt
Method
- Wearing gloves, stem the hot red peppers and remove the seeds and inner ribs for moderate heat, or leave them in for a fiery paste.
- Lightly toast the ground coriander and blue fenugreek in a dry pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds; do not let them burn.
- Pulse the walnuts in a food processor just to a coarse crumb and set aside, so they do not turn oily and bitter.
- Add the peppers and garlic to the processor and grind to a thick paste, scraping down the sides.
- Add the toasted spices, dried marigold, walnuts, salt, and red wine vinegar, and pulse until it has the texture of a red pesto.
- Let the paste rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 days so the spices open up.
- Pack into sterilised jars and refrigerate. Use as a rub for meat and fish, stirred into soups and stews, or as a spread.
FAQ
Authentic Georgian-Abkhazian adjika is a paste of peppers, garlic, and spices. The tomato-and-carrot version is a Russian-Ukrainian adaptation, closer to Balkan ajvar. The GI-protected original contains no tomatoes.
Utskho suneli (blue fenugreek) is a signature Caucasian spice with a grassy, nutty note. Replace it with regular fenugreek (sharper, use less) or a ready-made khmeli suneli blend.
Very hot. The heat is set by the seeds: remove the seeds and ribs for a moderate paste, leave them in for a fiery one. Handle the peppers only with gloves.
The classic is raw and ground. Some recipes lightly cook the puree to lose the raw smell and to keep longer; the flavour comes out milder. Both versions exist.
As a rub for meat and fish, a spoonful stirred into soups and stews (chakhokhbili, satsebeli), or a spread. Keep it in sterilised jars in the refrigerator for up to about 4 weeks, or freeze it.
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