Satsebeli is a delicious spicy sauce native to Georgia. In our country it is he who is associated with this name. In fact, in Georgia absolutely all sauces are called this word. That is why there are many options for recipes for its preparation. In most cases, sauces of this kind have a thick consistency with a pronounced sweet and sour taste and the aroma of various spices. It is worth considering in detail the most popular recipes for preparing satsebeli for the winter.
Features of the dish
Satsebeli sauce can be served with meat, fish, various side dishes and baked goods. This is a truly versatile addition that goes well with almost any dish. The nutritional value of the described sauce directly depends on the set of ingredients used. For example, a dish with the addition of nuts, grapes and pomegranates in large quantities is saturated with useful minerals and substances such as phosphorus, iron, and B vitamins.
Moreover, in addition to being nutritious and healthy, satsebeli also strengthens the immune system in the fight against various diseases. These include diabetes mellitus, many diseases of the endocrine system, liver, and cardiovascular system.
Most of these beneficial properties are due to the presence of a diverse set of spices and herbs in the dish. Garlic, onions, cilantro - all this strengthens the immune system.
Prepare the necessary ingredients
The set of ingredients used to prepare satsebeli may vary depending on the chosen recipe. The dish can be prepared from:
- tomatoes;
- sweet bell pepper;
- red hot pepper;
- cherry plums;
- nuts;
- grapes
The following can be used as spices, herbs and herbs:
- onion;
- garlic;
- coriander;
- salt;
- cilantro;
- dill;
- parsley.
Such a number of variations of the described dish, as already mentioned, is due to the fact that in the homeland of the sauce – in Georgia – the word “satsebeli” is used to describe all sauces. That is why in Russia there are many recipes for its preparation.
Options for making sauce at home
It’s worth looking in detail at the most popular recipes for making satsebeli sauce at home. The information below will discuss the following variations of the described dish:
- classical;
- from tomatoes;
- with the addition of cherry plum;
- from nuts;
- with red currants;
- from grapes;
- with the addition of dogwood.
Classic way
To prepare and further preserve satsebeli sauce according to the classic recipe you will need:
- tomatoes;
- sugar;
- sweet peppers;
- coriander;
- hot peppers;
- garlic;
- greens (dill, parsley).
Before starting cooking, it is recommended to select the largest and fleshiest tomato fruits. The recipe looks like this:
- Initially, you need to scald the tomatoes with boiling water. To do this, just put them in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. After which you will need to take them out and peel them.
- The pepper should be cut into small pieces, after removing the seeds from the fruit.
- The prepared vegetables should be mixed until smooth in a blender, then add a previously crushed clove of garlic to the resulting pulp.
- The resulting mass should be simmered over low heat for 30-40 minutes. For this, it is best to use dishes with thick walls.
- Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add herbs and spices to taste to the dish.
From tomato
Tomato satsebeli is prepared almost exactly the same as the classic one, with the only exception that little sweet pepper is used in this version of the sauce. As a result, to give satsebeli a mild taste, additional sugar should be added.
You can use almost any spices and herbs to add flavor to the dish. In most cases, onions, garlic, dill and parsley are added.
With the addition of cherry plum
To prepare satsebeli with the addition of cherry plum (plum) you will need:
- pre-cooked plum puree;
- sweet and hot peppers;
- garlic;
- adjika (can be used both dry and in sauce form);
- salt and spices to taste.
Cherry plum puree is prepared as follows: the berries are thoroughly washed and then placed in boiling water for several minutes. After cooking for five to seven minutes, the skins are removed from the berries. Next, they are ground in a blender until smooth.
After preparing the plum puree, you need to proceed directly to preparing cherry plum satsebeli, which is also often called tkemali. This is done as follows:
- sweet and hot peppers are ground in a blender;
- the resulting gruel is mixed with puree and cooked over low heat for forty minutes;
- Five to ten minutes before readiness, pre-ground garlic and onions are added to the sauce, after which spices and herbs are added to the sauce to taste.
Recipe with nuts
Unlike the recipes described above, when preparing a dish with nuts, the main nuts are not tomatoes and peppers, but tomato paste. The remaining ingredients are listed below:
- hot chili pepper;
- garlic;
- walnuts;
- cilantro;
- collection of spices khmeli-suneli;
- vinegar;
- salt and sugar to taste.
Ideally, you want to use the thickest possible tomato paste. It is diluted with water and mixed with table vinegar. The resulting mass is mixed with pre-prepared garlic gruel, pepper and cilantro.
The mixture is cooked over low heat for an hour. A couple of minutes before cooking, add ground walnuts, salt and sugar to the dish.
There are alternative versions of this recipe that use lemon juice instead of vinegar.
Grape sauce
Satsebeli can be made from grapes. For cooking, you need to use slightly unripe green fruits. The recipe looks like this:
- Juice is squeezed out of grapes;
- the juice along with the fruits is kept in a water bath for half an hour;
- Then the mixture is salted to taste (if the acid is pronounced, you can add sugar to soften);
- the next step is to strain the mixture and pour the resulting liquid into jars or bottles.
The sauce can be stored in this form for quite a long period of time. Before use, ground walnuts and garlic are added to grape satsebel. Another option is to serve these ingredients along with the dish.
With the addition of greens and dogwood
To cook dogwood satsebeli you will need:
- dogwood berries;
- herbs (cilantro, mint, parsley);
- hot chili pepper;
- garlic;
- khmeli-suneli seasoning;
- wine or apple cider vinegar;
- olive oil;
- salt and sugar to taste.
For cooking, you need to choose large, fully ripe berries. They are steamed in boiling water until soft, after which they are mixed with pepper, garlic and herbs ground in a blender. The resulting mass is filtered through a sieve. Butter, salt and sugar are added to it. If the consistency of the prepared dish seems too thick, then it can be diluted with water to a “sour cream” consistency.
From red currant
Cooking satsebeli from red currants is done in exactly the same way as cooking dogwood sauce. The difference is that the berries do not need to be ground or boiled first. They are mixed with pepper and garlic and cooked over medium heat.
The remaining spices and herbs are added after the dish is completely cooked. They are combined with the still hot sauce. After the dish, pour into jars or other containers and leave to cool at room temperature.
Georgian
In order to prepare real Georgian satsebeli step by step, you need to follow the instructions below.The main ingredients for the sauce are tomato paste and cilantro.
- The cilantro must be thoroughly washed and cut into small pieces.
- Next, it is mixed with garlic, herbs, black hot pepper and other seasonings (khmeli-suneli, salt).
- The resulting gruel is mixed with preheated tomato paste.
- The mixture is diluted with water. The amount of water used directly depends on the required consistency of the dish.
How to save blanks
Regardless of the recipe used for preparing satsebeli, the resulting dish can be preserved and sent to the cellar or basement for the winter. To do this, you need to pour the sauce, which has not yet cooled down after cooking, into pre-sterilized tanks or bottles and seal them with lids.
To increase the possible shelf life of the dish, add a tablespoon of ordinary vinegar to the jars. The main thing is that you should never artificially cool the jars in the refrigerator or in any other way. They should cool down on their own at room temperature. After this, the workpiece can be placed in a basement or cellar for storage.
