Satsebeli
Satsebeli sauce, traditional for Georgian cuisine (or satsibeli, as it is also called), has long gained popularity far beyond just Georgian cuisine. Without this sauce, it is difficult to imagine such traditional dishes of the Caucasian cuisine as khachapuri, chicken tabaka and many others.
Georgian cuisine is famous for its contrasting tastes. Along with the fiery-spicy dishes, there are certainly softer, exquisitely sweet and spicy delicacies. An amazing mixture of gustatory sensations and an unusual combination of aromas make Georgian cuisine so distinctive, bright and attractive, rarely leaving you indifferent.
Along with the abundance of fresh vegetables and indispensable meat dishes, of which there are a great many in the kitchen of sunny Georgia, sauces are always present at the Georgian feast. They set off the taste of juicy meat, giving it a new sound. Satsebeli sauce is a typical addition to main courses. Its spicy and unusual taste allows you to take a different look at the usual dishes of meat or fish. With him, they acquire an unusual and bewitching taste.
The recipe of this sweet and sour sauce has undergone various changes over the entire period of its existence, but the ingredients remained, without which satsebeli could not bear its name. These are nuts and fruits.
Of course, every housewife in Georgia has her own favorite recipe for satsebeli, but still, the sauce is considered classic, which includes the following products:
- Walnuts;
- Chicken bouillon;
- Juice of pomegranate or cherry-plum, or blackberry, or unripe grapes (most commonly known as abgor). A mixture of these juices is often used;
- Garlic;
- Imeretian saffron or marigolds, also known as cardobenedict;
- Ground red pepper;
- Cilantro greens.
The most common and easy-to-prepare recipe for satsebeli looks like this: first, finely chopped walnuts should be diluted with vinegar. Ideal is vinegar infused with mint, or mint in the form of herbs added to it. The resulting mixture must be diluted with broth. The choice of broth depends on which dish the satsebeli will be served with. If these are fish-based dishes, the broth should be fishy. Satsebeli cooked in meat broth is served with the meat. It is allowed, however, to add just boiled water, which will reduce the calorie content of the sauce. Next comes the turn of herbs and spices: crushed garlic, chopped onions, salt, herbs and red pepper. Satsebeli is almost ready, but that characteristic, special taste and aroma is given to it by cardobenedict, which is not so easy to find on domestic counters.therefore, you can use the hop-suneli seasoning instead, which contains the aforementioned spice.
Often, housewives add dill or parsley instead of or in addition to cilantro. Also, the traditional recipe is often diluted with the addition of tomatoes, due to which the taste and texture of the satsebel becomes more delicate and rich.
Satsebeli is an almost universal sauce, and a rare Georgian dish can do without it. Satsebeli is especially wonderful in combination with juicy shish kebabs according to the Georgian recipe, chicken tobacco. It is important to take into account that satsebeli based on ripe cherry plum, barberry, pomegranate or blackberry is best suited to meat. The sauce, which contains these fruits and berries, has a rather sweet taste. It is better to choose the ingredients for the bird, thanks to which the satsebeli will acquire a pleasant sourness. These are usually unripe grapes. It can be served both warm and cold.
Despite the richness of ingredients, satsebeli is low in calories. 100 g of the product contains no more than 52 Kcal. The fat content is minimal and close to zero, as well as the protein content. 100 g of satsebel contains about 13 g of carbohydrates.
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