Georgian Vegan Cooking: The End of Week Review

It turns out, to my surprise, that Georgian food completely rocks, and is plenty vegan friendly. In fact, I do wonder that there aren’t any Georgian restaurants (that I know of) in Oz – any industrious, Australia-bound Georgians out there should know that Aussies are into world foods, and there seems to be a gap in the market for you

My favourites, of the recipes I attempted myself, are the mushroom khinkali (I’m always a sucker for a dumpling), the red bean salad, and the mushrooms in cream. I have loved basically every single thing we’ve found available as ready-to-eat food, too.

The only food I have tasted here so far without instantly loving are the frozen khinkali (just a bit odd), and the lobio (cooked red beans), which was a little bland.

I was disappointed that I couldn’t pull off the eggplant in walnut sauce, but others should definitely try it, as the bought versions I have had are wonderful. I will be trying to cook this when I get home, and have access to a blender again. Mum has already told me she expects a world-of-vegan-food feast when we visit next, and Satsivi is definitely on the must-cook list.

This wont be the end of my Georgian experience, as we’re here for another month (landlords permitting), but it is the end of my blogging about it. Next up, I’ll try to replicate foods from Turkey (ingredient availability permitting).

Restaurant Review

Finally we broke our confinement and went out for dinner. We went to a place in Liberty Square, Tbilisi. I can’t remember the name, which I didn’t write down because I decided it would be easy to remember. (I’ll add it here when I find out). They had an english menu, with fasting options (meat free, milk free) noted with an asterisk.

We ordered the eggplant walnut rolls, ajapsandal (eggplant based dish, sort of like ratatouille), tarragon pies, rice with vegetables (pilaf), a pear fizzy drink, and a tarragon fizzy drink.

Everything was good, but the ajapsandal was particularly wonderful – so soft and flavoursome, it was like a mix between ratatouille and baba ganoush, with lots of cinnamon and cloves for extra warmth, and not too much tomato.

A note on the drinks: I am really enjoying the pear flavoured soft drink which is everywhere here. It tastes a bit like creaming soda, but with pears. The tarragon flavour is a local speciality, but its not my favourite. It is bright green, and tastes a lot like aniseed, though not as harsh.

I’ll leave you with some photos from our most recent (and fabulous) dining out experience, and be back soon with some info and recipes from Turkey.

Eggplant rolls with walnut, tarragon pies, and ajapsandal

 

Fizzy drink in wine glasses

More beans, more eggplant, more potatoes and more walnuts (of course)

I’m convinced that at some point in the distant past, some wrote a book (in Georgian – one of the oldest living written languages) about the wonders of walnuts, and how to make sure you eat them at every single meal. It must have been a best-seller, because really and truly, walnuts are in everything here.

But enough about walnuts.

Tonight I had another go at Lobio, or red beans, although this time I followed a recipe for a cooked version. This version is a sort of soup/stew/dip, made of onion, garlic, kidney beans, herbs and spices. I used suneli (a special Georgian spice made from the flowers of the fenugreek plant), dried mint, coriander seed, cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, fresh coriander and fresh parsley. The recipe said to use raw garlic and onion, but MR is a bit of an alliumphobe, so I used roasted garlic and red onion.

Lobio

It was warm and filling, but to be honest it just didn’t push my buttons like the salad version did. As kidney beans are the main source of vegetarian protein here in Tbilisi, I’ll probably try to make this again, though next time I think I’ll use raw garlic, and add more salt, more clove, and track down some fresh mint and dare I say it… dill.

I used two recipes conflated, which you can find here, and here. They are already vegan, hooray!

The second part of tonight’s menu was stuffed eggplant. The main feature that separated this Georgian versionto all the other kinds of stuffed eggplant was the method of cooking – the eggplant with stuffing got simmered in a skillet for about 45 minutes, instead of being baked.

Stuffed Eggplant

Sadly, this dish was also a little bland to my tastes, and I missed the oily, baked goodness I’m used to. The blandness could be because I only had kinda crappy tomatoes, or because I’m a salt-fiend. In any case if I make this again I will be using a little more salt, and maybe some nooch and lemon juice.

The saviour of the evening was the potatoes with walnuts, which is a very simple dish of boiled chopped potatoes, tossed with walnuts and fresh herbs. The original uses butter, I subbed olive oil. If you’re playing along at home, I would recommend using a butter substitute like vegan margarine for the flavour, although the olive oil was good.

Potatoes with Walnuts

I am a big fan of potato salads without mayo, so this was a winner for me.

On a tangent, I am very happy to say that as Christmas approaches, the shops have more and more “lenten” or “fasting” foods. Today I scored vegan cake slices, which we had for afternoon tea. At one lari a pop (about 70 cents), I’m looking forward to eating lots of these in future.

Georgian Cherry Cake

Georgian Chocolate cake

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Khinkali

It seems that every language, cultural or ethnic group who cook their food and have access to some sort of flour have their own version of the filling-filled pastry lump I know as a dumpling. Italy has ravioli, Russia has pelmeni and varenki, Poland has perogi, Azerbaijan has dushbere, Armenia has manti, Chile has pantrucas, China has jiaozi, Japan has gyoza, the list goes on.

In Georgia the local dough-filled-with-stuff-then-cooked dish is Khinkali.

Khinkali are very large in comparison to, say, a wonton, and about twice the size of a gyoza, or four times the size of Russian pelmeni. They are shaped into a knob, that looks a lot like one of those old-fashioned ice-bags for head-bumps.

Ice bag for head-bumps

supermarket khinkali

They come hot, sprinkled with pepper, or plain. To eat khinkali, you hold it by the knob, and bite carefully (because broth comes out of the meat ones). You never eat the knob itself (it is dry and tough). I’ve heard tell that men line the knobs up on their plate as a evidence of their appetite, but as I mainly eat with Mr (not into manliness-affirming appetite displays) and women, I haven’ noticed this in real life.

Khinkali are usually filled with meat, of course, however a long tradition of religious fasting here in Georgia means that there are versions available that are made without meat or dairy. I have been able to buy them from the supermarket (although the flavour was a little like tinned mushrooms), have made some myself, and will soon (tonight I think) brave the language barrier and have some in a restaurant. (We’ve been taking a little holiday from being foreigners and tourists, and have not really done anything outside the house for a few weeks- It has been so cozy!).

There are many recipes for them online, but here’s what I did to make mine:

Vegan Khinkali

Serves 3

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 to 2 cups water

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped finely
• 1 tsp coriander seed powder
• by rights it should also have some dill – I hate dill, so I don’t know how much would be an acceptable amount.
• pepper
• salt to taste

1. Make the dough. I just mix water into the flour with my hands until it turns into dough. Scientific, I know. The dough needs to be fairly soft so it can stretch out. Leave the dough to sit on a floured surface for 30 minutes.
2. To make the filling: heat the oil in a frying pan. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 5. Add Mushrooms, coriander powder, and pepper, and fry until mushrooms are cooked. Remove from heat and toss through the fresh herbs. Add salt to taste. Allow to cool.
3. Roll the dough out to about 3 mm.
4. Use a large cup so cut circles of dough. Fill each circle with filling, and pull the dough into a knot, twisting the top to seal.
5. Once you have made all the khinkali you can freeze them for later, or boil or steam them immediately, and serve with cracked pepper.
   

   My khinkali - don't know why, but this is the only photo.

I still need to work on my twisting technique, but I really enjoyed the flavour of my first home-made khinkali experience. They feel like a bit more work than my usual dumpling standby (usually jiaozi or gyoza), but they are also much bigger, and (if you get them right) look pretty impressive on a plate.

What kind of dumplings have you tried? Which are your favourite?  I love the chive steamed dumplings, and basically anything fried.

 

One disaster, a few thngs that didn’t quite work, and salad

When we first arrived in Tbilisi we were cold, tired and hungry as a result of a long flight and very little sleep the night before. We stayed with a couple we met through couch surfing, and Natalia, our host, made us a really tasty dish, which she said would probably be called something like “Potatoes on the family way”. She said it usually gets made with meat, but as a vegetarian she makes it with mushrooms.

Mr and I both loved it, so as soon as we were settled into our own place, its the first thing I tried to cook.

Unfortunately, my version didn’t match the golden, crispy texture her’s had, so I wont be posting the recipe yet. For now, you get a photo of what my version-that-didn’t-quite-work looked like. I added chickpeas for protein, too.

I didn’t get a photo of Natalia’s version, because I had just met her, and felt like a dork.

Potatoes that didn't quite work

The next dish I tried, again without success, was Eggplant with Walnut Sauce. I’ve seen photos on the net, and a number of recipes, and it looked fabulous. Unfortunately, I don’t actually have any blending/crushing/grinding implements in this kitchen, so my walnut sauce was more like walnut gravel, and I added too much vinegar, and my walnuts didn’t taste good, so the result was gritty, bitter and sour nastiness. I served it up with a pilaf that turned gluggy and a salad that tasted of slightly bitter cabbage and too much vinegar.

Even the photo sucks

All in all, not my greatest kitchen success.

I don’t think I’ll try to make this again, as I don’t have the right gadgets, and the version of the sauce I can buy is fantastic and affordable. If you want to have a go at it, check out these recipes: Nami Nami’s recipe, Ashbury’s Aubergines, Sisauri’s version, and Tsai.

Happily, not everything has been a disaster. We have been enjoying a lot of really nice salads and soups made with my home made stock. At the moment, the vegetables we can get are limited to cucumber, cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, eggplant, cauliflower, the occasional capsicum, and some not-too-good tomatoes. We can always find a lot of fresh herbs, including parsley, coriander, mint, dill, spring onions, and tarragon.

Purple and green salad

My favourite salad at the moment is cabbage and cucumber, or Purple and Green Salad.

Purple and Green Salad

• 1/3 head of red cabbage, shredded finely
• 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 1 handful chopped mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander
• 1 small red onion, sliced very fine
• 1 tsp sugar
• pepper
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil

In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, cucumber, onion, half the mint, and all of the coriander.

In a small bowl beat together the remaining mint, sugar, vinegar, pepper and oil

Combine. Easy peasy.

If you don’t like the onion flavour you can leave it out or try this trick- before peeling or chopping, boil the whole onion for about 5 minutes. Cool, then slice as usual. It takes away some of the bite. I’m always boiling something, so I just pop it in with the pasta, potatoes or what have you.

Carrot and Cabbage

My second favourite salad at the moment is Carrot and Cabbage.

Carrot and Cabbage Salad

• 1/3 head of green cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sultanas
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl.

Cabbage soup

The soup has been mostly a Russian cabbage soup or a Turkish red lentil soup both of which I’ll post about when I get to the Russian and Turkish weeks.

Its snowing!

I interrupt our regular programming to squeal a little about that fact that its snowing where I am!!!!!!!!

Ir. Abashidze, Tbilisi

The view from my window

More window view

Me holding my first ever snowball last night

And because it is snowing, it is cold, (or the other way around), so its time to kick back, watch bad movies and drink perfect vegan hot chcocolate.

(My) Perfect Vegan Hot Chocolate Recipe

Makes 2

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• dash cinnamon
• dash cardamon
• dash nutmeg
• dash clove powder
• dash cayenne, if you’re into that kind of thing
• 1 large tsp of golden syrup
• 2 cups of soy milk (actually I prefer Spelt milk, and I’ve heard good things about hazelnut milk, but any non-dairy milk works)

1. In a small saucepan add the cocoa, spices and sugar, with about 2 tablespoons of the soy milk, and make a paste.
2. Over low heat, add the golden syrup and combine thoroughly.
3. Add the milk slowly, continuing to stir over low heat until all the milk is added.
4. Turn the heat up just a little. This is the technical part – stir occasionally and keep over heat until you see the surface just begin to have ripples. It should look like greasy water does when you drop detergent into it, nothing like boiling. DO NOT BOIL THE SOY MILK – it makes it taste like mushrooms, which is just weird.
5. Serve in mugs, with some vegan chocolate on the side to dip in and melt.

Elsewhere on Aroudtheworldvegan: Mexican style hot chocolate

 

Everyone has a tip that they think makes the perfect vegan hot chocolate, what’s yours?

Vegan things you can buy in Georgia

While it is true that no Georgian I have met so far has managed to hide the confusion and shock they feel when I say I don’t eat meat OR cheese, there is actually quite a lot of vegan fare available in Tbilisi without any substitutions or changes required.

In fact, a lot of the food available in the supermarket here is so good, its hard to be bothered cooking. Its also very easy to find this food, particularly as my local supermarket labels everything in the deli section in Georgian and English, and I have made myself a handy cheat-sheet for reading the Georgian words for milk, dairy, eggs, advent, lent and fasting (some Georgians give up milk and meat for lent and advent, so there are vego versions of the classics available sometimes).

Here are a few of the delights we’ve been tasting in Georgia so far:

Roasted capsicum wth walnut paste

Eggplants stuffed with walnut paste

Walnut Paste with Beet Leave (left) and Eggplant with Cinnamon (right)

Be aware, there are many kinds of walnut paste dishes. They all taste fabulous, but I don’t recommend the one with the beet leaves – its tastes good, but looks like cat vomit, and feels how I imagine cat vomit would feel, because of the hard, stringy leaves.

Every kind of jam and preserve imaginable. These ones are chilli (wth fenugreek and dill, of course), pomegranat and plum (all local products)

Lobiani, a bean pie, or "Lenten" pie

Bean pie filling - savoury, not sweet

Be careful when buying the bean pies – some of them may have an egg wash. This one doesn’t.

Shotis Puri, a Georgian bread

Fastng Khinkali (this one is mushroom, though the potato one tastes better)

What lunch looks like for vegans in Tbilisi - bread, spreads, jam, tea and varenki (Russian dumplings)

Also, sometimes like this- salad, sauted cabbage, seeds, khinkali, tea and Georgian pear lemonade

Also available at Goodwill (supermarket closest to my place) is pre-made fried potatoes with mushroom, roasted vegetable medley, rice dishes, breads, pastries, dips, salads, red beans, red bean salad, red bean soup, Georgian corn cakes, vegetarian spring rolls-looking things, soy milk, vegan lard, and even vegan (though not fair trade) chocolate.

The far more numerous supermarket chain, Populi, also has bread, frozen vegan khinkali, and a some of the walnut and eggplant dishes, though they don’t have an ingredient list. There are also bakeries selling warm, local bread (vegan!) everywhere, numerous popcorn and doughnut vendors (I’ve been told the doughnuts are ok for fasting, so no animal fat or milk, but they may have egg) and plenty of fruit, veg and all the walnuts you can eat (these guys have a for serious obsession with walnuts).

So, you see its a total walk in the park being vegan in Tbilisi, regardless of the incomprehension of the locals.

Eggplant and mushrooms and walnuts, of course

Kamarjoba!

(Yup, that’s the only word, other than bread, that I can say in Georgian).

Last night’s dinner was intended to be all Georgian, all the way, however, of course, it didn’t quite turn out that way.

I had intended to make my own version of the fabulous eggplant and cinnamon dish that I get at Goodwill (the supermarket), and serve it alongside mushrooms and cream, and a red bean salad. Unfortunately I forgot that I  didn’t actually have any red beans, Mr having used them all up in his signature kidney bean, soy sauce and coriander dish the night before. Also, I rarely have the patience for eggplant, and this was not an exceptional evening.

As I didn’t realise that I was out of red beans until I had already made most of the salad, I have to apologise to all of Georgia for presenting my “Georgian Red Bean Salad”, made with chickpeas. The horror!

I am posting the recipe for my version of the eggplant with cinnamon dish, and if you actually follow it, yours should turn out really nicely. I got sick of salting the eggplant and started cooking it too soon, and then didn’t wait long enough before I added the water, so mine was a little undercooked. I also burned my finger, which is bad because I don’t have patience for holding burned fingers under the tap for long enough, either.

Both the mushrooms in cream and the salad recipe originally came from GeorgianTaste, however I am re-posting them with my vegan/available ingredient related changes. If you have access to vegan cooking cream, I suggest you try to follow the original recipe for the mushrooms- mine was great, but real cream would have been even better.

From front, clockwise: Bread, Eggplant and Cinnamon, Mushrooms in Cream, and (chickpea) Bean Salad.

Eggplant and Cinnamon

We’ve been loving the eggplant and cinnamon dish I get at the deli, so I though I’d give it a try.

• 1 medium eggplant, diced, salted for 40 minutes
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or more if you like
• dash cloves
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• dash fenugreek
• 1 tablespoon minced dill (or if you don’t have any, some dill-flavoured vinegar from the pickle jar)
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup water
• salt,to taste

1. Leave the eggplant to salt for ages and ages, seriously! (about 30-40 minutes) I never do this for as long as I should and it makes it a bit crap. Then give it a pat down or a rinse.
2. In as much oil as you are comfortable with (between 2 tablespoons and about 1.3 cup), fry the onion, garlic and eggplant together until the eggplant is soft (this takes a while).
3. Add the tomato, spices, and water. Stir together and leave at a simmer to cook down. This takes about 25 minutes, but check it occasionally.
4. Taste, and add salt as wanted.
5. Serve sprinkled with a little chopped coriander and some pomegranate seeds.

 

Red Bean Salad

Original recipe here.

• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped, not ground
• 2 tablespoons white  wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (clearly, I used chickpeas)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Only one step – mix everything together!

Bean Salad

Mushrooms in Cream, Soko Arazhanit

Originally from this recipe. My version, below, makes enough for two, as a side dish.

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• a little olive oil
• 1 cups of mushrooms, trimmed and thickly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine (I can’t get margarine so I use vegan lard here)
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk (unsweetened)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp powdered cloves
• sat to taste

1. Cook the garlic and mushrooms in a little oilve oil until soft.
2. Add the margarine and flour. Stir constantly until a soft dough forms, then continue to stir and cook for about 5 minutes (this “cooks out” the floury flavour).
3. Add a 1/4 cup of soy milk, and stir into a paste. Continue to add milk, a little at a time, until you have added 1 cup.
4. Add the spices, pepper, bay, a little salt and parsley, and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Mixture should have thickened a little. Add extra soy milk if needed, and stir through. Remove bay leaf, and serve  with rice, pasta or bread.

Introducing Georgia (the country, not the state)

After 7 months of constant movement, we have settled down for at least a month to enjoy Tbilisi, Georgia. Also to do some work writing/researching for an altogether different country, but that’s besides the point.

Where is it?

Georgia has borders with Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and stretches between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Its in the “confusion zone”, which seems to go by many names including the Near East, the Middle East, the Caucasus, South Western Asia, and Eurasia.

Here is it on a map:

Borrowed from aboutgeorgia.ge

People and Politics

The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi. St George is a patron saint of Georgia, and the flag shows a red cross on a white background, usually called the Georgian cross.

Georgia (and the kingdoms of the area that came before) has been invaded over the centuries by the Romans, the Persians, the Mongols, the Turks and the Russians. After a period of Russian rule, and a brief period of sovereignty, Georgia became a part of the Soviet Union in the 1920s, and remained so until 1991.

Civil war followed, and though the country has seen stability for some years now, there are continued tensions in some regions. Shevarnadze, elected in 1995 and a number of times since, was deposed in 2003 as a result of a disputed ballot and claims of fraud and corruption (random fact, he lives on my street now).

Since then, I am told, things have been more settled in Georgia (excepting South Ossetia and Abkhazia) and the country is seeing increasing safety and prosperity.

Stats and Facts

• Population: 4,585,874
• Median Age: 41.6 years old
• Fertility Rate:  1.45 children per woman
• Life expectancy at birth: 77.12 years
• Religions: Orthodox Christian (official) 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)
• Languages: Georgian (official) 71%, Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
  note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
• Ethnic Groups: Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census)
• Literacy: 100% of the population over 15 years can read and write
• Main Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine
• GDP per capita: $4 900
• Unemployment rate: 16.4% (in 2009, this may have dipped)
• Gini Index: 40.8 (this means wealth is distributed less equally than the UK and more equally than the USA).

Did you know…?

Georgia was the first nation state to claim Christianity as the official religion around 330AD.

Georgia claims to have invented wine, and the earliest physical evidence of wine making found here is wine dust in barrels from 8000 years ago.

The mythical Golden Fleece would have resided in what is now Georgia.

Stalin was from Georgia.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, the capital Tbilisi was without power for around three years, during a period of civil war. Of all the horror stories I’ve been told, not one has been of the soviet era, they’ve all been about post-soviet times. That said, there’s time, so maybe I’ll hear a few.