Bazhe
Bazhe is a cold, uncooked Georgian walnut sauce, often called the king of Georgian sauces. Ground walnuts, garlic, and spices like blue fenugreek and marigold are loosened with vinegar and water into a creamy, tangy sauce served with poultry, fish, and vegetables. The recipe makes about 450 g (roughly 2 cups), and a serving is 3 tablespoons. Chill it before serving.
Ingredients
- 200 gwalnuts
- 3 clovesgarlic
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1 tspblue fenugreek
- 1 tspdried marigold
- 0.25 tspcayenne pepper
- 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
- 1 tspsalt
- 200 mlwater
Method
- Grind the walnuts in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle until they form a paste and release their oil. If you like, press out and reserve some of the oil to finish the sauce.
- Crush the garlic with the salt into a smooth paste.
- Mix the garlic into the walnuts with the ground coriander, blue fenugreek, dried marigold, and cayenne.
- Stir in the white wine vinegar, then add the cooled boiled water a little at a time until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream.
- Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar. Do not cook the sauce.
- Chill, then drizzle with the reserved walnut oil, if you pressed any out. Serve cold with chicken, fish, ghomi, or roasted vegetables.
FAQ
Bazhe is the raw walnut sauce, thinned with cold water. Satsivi is a holiday dish of poultry in a related walnut sauce that is made with the cooking broth and fried onion and brought to the boil. Satsebeli is a tomato sauce.
Both are authentic. Wine vinegar gives a clean tang; pomegranate juice gives tartness with a little sweetness and depth. Lemon juice also works.
Utskho suneli (blue fenugreek) is a grassy, nutty spice; dried marigold (Imeretian saffron) gives a warm peppery-citrus note and colour. Replace the fenugreek with khmeli suneli.
Ground walnuts release oil, which is normal; stir it back in or drizzle it on top. Bitterness comes from overheated or rancid nuts, so use fresh ones and do not heat them.
Cold, with fried chicken, fish, ghomi, or boiled or roasted vegetables (eggplant, cauliflower), or as a dip for bread. It keeps in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Store bazhe in a closed jar in the fridge and don't leave it on the table for more than 2 hours. It thickens as it stands, so loosen it with a spoonful of cold boiled water before serving.
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