The classic plum tkemali sauce comes together in just 5 simple steps. The trickiest part? Finding and procuring the plums—those with a delightful tang. But once you have them, the rest is straightforward. Oh, and don’t forget the authentic spices. When your plum tkemali sauce is ready, serve it alongside grilled meats, poultry, or fish.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 92.07 kcal
Servings: 5
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Carbs/Fat/Protein: 0.71g / 0.29g / 22.32g
Ingredients (for 5 servings)
- Red, Yellow, or Green Sour Plums: 1 kg (2.2 lbs)
- Garlic: 5 cloves
- Salt: 1 tsp (heaping)
- Sugar: 2 tbsp
- Khmeli-Suneli Spice Blend: 1 tsp
- Fresh Cilantro: 1 large bunch
Instructions
Rinse the sour plums under cold water. Bring them to a boil in a saucepan and cook until tender, about 30–40 minutes.
Pass the plums through a sieve to obtain a smooth puree.
Finely chop the garlic and mix it with the plum puree.
Transfer the mixture to a thick-bottomed saucepan and heat over low heat for 1 hour.
Add salt, sugar, khmeli-suneli, and finely chopped cilantro. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat. Your classic plum tkemali sauce is now ready to serve.
Useful Tip The key ingredients for the classic tkemali sauce are plums, garlic, aromatic herbs, and ground pepper.
Commonly used herbs include cilantro, dill, and ombalo (a variety of mint, which can be substituted with lemon balm).
Remember, tkemali plums are first boiled, then strained through a sieve. The resulting puree is further reduced to a creamy consistency, and garlic, spices, and salt are added. Let it cool before serving.
