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 meal in Georgia. In this recipe we show how to make an oyster mushroom chakapuli.

Ingredients: 1 kilo of Oyster mushrooms, 3 hot green peppers, 3 white onions, 10 green onions, 10 grams of dill, 100 grams of tarragon, 50 grams of green coriander, 1-2 cloves of garlic, 100 grams of butter, 2 tbs of oil, 300 ml of white wine, 1 liter of water, 1 level tsp of black pepper, salt (amount dependent upon personal preference), and 200 grams of wild sour plums (tkemali).

Preparation: Chop the onions and add to a pan together with 100 grams of butter and 2 tbs of oil. Fry on a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let the onions brown.

Wash and separate the oyster mushrooms and add to the pan of onions. Stir and cook on a low temperature for up to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Chop the green onions, green peppers, fresh coriander and dill. Strip the soft parts and leaves from the tarragon (discard the hard parts). Crush the garlic.

Add the herbs, peppers, green onion and garlic to the pan of mushrooms and onions. Stir. Cover and leave for 3-4 minutes on a low heat.

Add 300 ml of white wine and 1 liter of water. Stir.

Cook for 15 minutes, uncovered, on a low to medium heat. Add salt and black pepper. Stir.

Wash and add the wild sour plums. Reduce the temperature to low and cook for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove from the heat and serve.

Serving: Serve hot.

Enjoy your Oyster Mushroom Chakapuli!