Georgian Recipes

Wild Oyster mushrooms are called ‘Kalmakha’ in Georgia and grow on the bark of trees. They look, smell and taste like oysters and are a popular ingredient in Georgian cuisine. In this family recipe we show how to prepare wild oyster mushroom filled pastries.

Ingredients for the filling (8 servings): 700 grams of wild oyster mushrooms, 100 grams of white rice, 1 large white onion, 1 tsp of black pepper, salt (amount dependent upon personal preference), 1 clove of garlic, 15 grams of fresh green parsley, 4-5 tbs of oil to fry the mushrooms and onions + oil for frying the pastries,

Ingredients for the dough: 700 grams of flour, 180 ml of water or milk, 1 egg, 1 tbs of yeast, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of salt.

Preparation (dough): There are several recipes for making the dough but we find the following method to be the easiest way to prepare it.

Warm 180 ml of water or milk to 35C and add to a bowl. Stir in the yeast.

Add 400 grams of flour to a mixing bowl and make a depression in the flour. Add the yeast water, milk and a raw egg. If you want the pastry to have a golden color you can add 1 tsp of sugar.

The dough should be formed into a soft ball.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for 2 hours for the dough to rise.

Preparation (filling): Chop the mushrooms and onions and add to a pan with 4-5 tbs of oil. Fry on a medium heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Boil the rice with 1 tsp of salt. Add the rice, together with the fried mushrooms and onions to a mixing bowl. Crush the garlic, finely chop the green parsley and add, together with salt and black pepper to the bowl,

Mix the ingredients with a spoon.

After two hours in a warm place the dough should look like the picture below.

Add 150-200 grams of flour and knead the dough. The dough should be fluffy, not wet. Separate it into eight same-size balls. Roll out each ball of dough.

Add one eighth of the filling to the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over the filling and seal the edges by pressing with your finger tips.

Turn the dough over and gently flatten, being careful not to tear it.

Gently fold and press the ends of the dough to ensure that it is sealed.

Fry in hot oil on a medium heat for 6-7 minutes, turning half way through.

Serving: Serve hot. They are also delicious cold.

Enjoy your Oyster Mushroom Pastry!

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