Georgian Chili Paste - Ajika

Red Chili Paste (Tsiteli Ajika) - Ajika for Cooking
vegan
This spicy ajika from the Samegrelo region in western Georgia is typically used in cooking—rubbed on meat or poultry or added to a stew or soup—not as a condiment. It adds unique taste and aroma to any dish, but only very serious lovers of capsaicin would enjoy eating it raw. Use disposable gloves when working with hot peppers to protect your hands from their spiciness.

Ingredients for Red Chili Paste (Tsiteli Ajika)
Start the day before.
Makes 1 1/4 cups
1 pound red long thin chili or Fresno peppers
15 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon ground blue fenugreek
2 tablespoons ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon ground marigold
11/2 tablespoons ground dill seed
3 teaspoons coarse salt

Red Chili Paste with Walnuts (Nigvziani Ajika) - Ajika as Condiment
vegan
Walnuts add a piquant flavor to this ajika, which is typically served as a relish to meat and poultry dishes. It is so delicious that some people enjoy spreading it on buttered bread and eating it raw. One may think hot chilies and walnuts would not be complementary to each other. The people from Samegrelo region of Georgia think differently and blend these two into a fiery paste. I love spicy foods but when I had ajika nigvzit for the first time in Zugdidi, the capital of Samegrelo, my taste buds were overwhelmed. But despite the heat of the peppers, I found the combination of flavors and aromas unforgettable.

Milder varieties of red long chili peppers—such as Fresno chilis—will make the paste more suitable as a spread. If you like it really hot, do not remove the seeds or choose something like cayenne. The paste can be kept refrigerated for a month or even longer.

Ingredients for Red Chili Paste with Walnuts (Nigvziani Ajika)
Start a day ahead.
Makes 2 cups
1 pound long thin red chili or Fresno peppers
1 red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), cored and seeded
14 medium garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cups coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shelled walnuts
2 tablespoons ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon ground blue fenugreek
1 ½ tablespoons dried ground dill seed
3 teaspoons coarse salt

Cooking with Tamada’s Table will bring the finest recipes, seasonal dishes and authentic tastes of Georgian cuisine to your table. You will cook and learn from a Georgian who understands the perspectives and tastes of the cuisine, while advising on how to source specialty spices.

Georgian cuisine is unique. Fresh herbs – cilantro, tarragon, mint, summer savory, celery – will move into your kitchen and brighten your life and table, providing enormous health benefits as well. Ground walnuts are used in many dishes, instead of oil, and you can even cook meat without adding any fat. There are lots of vegan dishes, including a range of cold vegetable dishes (pkhali) with walnuts, fresh herbs and exotic spices from the Silk Road.

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Видео Georgian Chili Paste - Ajika канала Georgian Cuisine at Tamada's Table