Adjika Abkhaz classic: recipe 

Spices occupy a special place in the cuisine of different countries. A favorite dish ceases to belong to one region, diverges around the world and becomes very famous. Among them is the famous Abkhaz adjika.

The aroma of the seasoning will be recognized by everyone who has tried it at least once. The recipe for a real Abkhazian adjika has one feature. The seasoning base was prepared by manually rubbing the ingredients on a flat stone with another stone. This is how the amazing dish with spicy taste appeared. At the time of preparation, dried pieces of hot pepper were thoroughly ground with garlic and coriander seeds, gradually adding salt and blue fenugreek. This herb has many names and adds a nutty flavor to any dish it is added to. Therefore, it can be replaced by ordinary hazelnuts, pre-roasted and chopped or walnuts. Sometimes it is allowed to replace fenugreek with hay or shamballa.

By the way, blue fenugreek seeds are the main component of hop-suneli seasoning. And one more nuance. Pepper in the Abkhaz villages was not just dried, but smoked, hanging it over the hearth. From it a dry basis was obtained for the preparation of the Abkhaz spicy adjika.

Then, various transformations could be done with this base or blank. Greens passed through a meat grinder, even more chopped garlic and suneli hops were added to it. There are as many variations as there are hostesses. But in the end, it turned out to be a spicy, amazingly smelling Abkhazian snack.

Cooking a classic seasoning from Abkhazia

How to cook a modern version of adjika from Abkhazia at home? After all, this seasoning is so widely used that there is not a single dish that would not benefit from a duet with adjika. Let’s turn to the chefs for help. Adjika in Abkhazian traditional recipe includes all the basic principles of creating a seasoning, although each chef’s taste may be slightly different:

1. The ingredients need to be ground. Currently, this function is performed by a blender, meat grinder or kitchen mortar. It is worth saying that pounding in a mortar is used even in fashionable restaurants. This technique leads to the release of essential oils and makes Abkhaz adjika very fragrant.
2. Traditional adjika is not subjected to any processing and is served raw.
3. The Abkhaz adjika recipe does not include the addition of tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms and other vegetables.

However, in order for the Abkhazian adjika to have a long shelf life for the winter, modern interpretations allow such components and cooking vegetables.

Proportions of ingredients for the adjika classic recipe:

• we take bitter dry pepper 0,5 kg;
• coriander (cilantro), dill, parsley seeds;
• peeled garlic – 1 kg;
• hops-suneli – 500 g;
• coarse salt is suitable in the amount of 1,5 cups.

When choosing the ingredients for the Abkhazian seasoning, pay attention to the aroma.

Herbs, spices, everything must smell amazing, otherwise the seasoning will turn into an ordinary spread. Real adjika from Abkhazia has a special taste and smell.

The cooking process begins with the preparation of hot peppers. It must be poured over with boiling water, and then cleaned. To clean means to remove the seeds. If this is not done, then it will be difficult for a city dweller to eat Abkhazian adjika. Dry pepper is subjected to this treatment, and the drier it is, the better.

If you purchased fresh, then it is washed with water and laid out in one layer on a wide dish so that the fruits do not touch each other. In this position, pepper is left for 3 days.

1. After the allotted time, the pepper is peeled from the stalks, cut and the seeds are removed. All these operations are done with gloves.
2. The garlic is ground, after removing the husk.
3. Seeds of coriander (cilantro) and other plants should be ground in a mortar. The released essential oils will give the seasoning a special aroma.
4. All components are once again passed through a meat grinder together to achieve a homogeneous mass.
5. Lastly, salt is added and mixed.

Now the mass is left for 24 hours, then laid out in small containers for convenient use. Such a recipe for cooking from fresh pepper is not suitable for canning Abkhazian adjika for the winter. The seasoning only lasts for a few days.

Green seasoning in Abkhazian style

It turns out that a fragrant snack from Abkhazia can be green.

This is one of the variants of the Abkhazian adjika with fresh herbs. The remaining ingredients (pepper, garlic and salt) are required, only hot peppers are taken green. Abkhazian green adjika turns out to be very tasty, goes well with cheeses, fried chicken and fish.

How many ingredients do we need to prepare:

• green hot pepper – 3 pods;
• young garlic – 3 large heads;
• you need a lot of greens – 3-4 bunches of each type (celery, coriander or cilantro, parsley, dill);
• nut butter and salt – 2 tablespoons each.

Often, green Abkhazian adjika with walnuts is prepared to emphasize the original taste of the dish. Therefore, for our recipe we need walnut oil. Original additives for seasoning at will – fresh mint and thyme.

We start with pepper. The best option is when prepared ahead of time. Green peppercorns are dried on a thread for a month. Then it is washed or soaked in boiling water, the stalks are cut off. The next stage depends on how sharp the adjika should be at the exit. If you need to make a very burning option, then the seeds are not removed. If you want a gentle spiciness, then the seeds must be cleaned.

Be sure to rinse the herbs with clean water, peel the garlic cloves from the husk.

Add these ingredients to the pepper and grind everything together in a meat grinder. To avoid lumps, repeat this procedure a couple of times. Put the mass in a bowl and add coarse salt and nut butter.

Banks prepare in advance. They should be clean and dry, as should the lids.

Arrange green adjika in jars, cork and transfer to a cool room.

Your winter warming adjika in Abkhazian style is ready for the winter.

Useful tips for housewives

Abkhaz adjika, the recipe of which you choose, will become a real decoration of the dining table. Try to follow simple recommendations to please guests and family with a wonderful seasoning:

• Do not add other vegetables to the seasoning, this will completely change the taste and aroma of the national dish.
• If you need to process the pepper, but there are no gloves, then periodically generously lubricate your hands with vegetable oil – sunflower, olive.
• Do not use a coffee grinder to grind grass seeds. So, you will lose an important component of the Abkhaz adjika – the aroma of essential oils. Pound them with a pestle in a mortar.
• Finely ground salt, like iodized salt, is not suitable for making adjika from Abkhazia.
• Add a little adjika during the cooking of soups. They will acquire a spicy rich aroma.

It is not necessary to cook adjika in large quantities. If you have not prepared for the winter, then the ingredients are available at any time of the year. Make the right amount when needed.