Georgian Recipes

Gebzhalia (Georgian: გებჟალია) is a softened cheese dish from Georgia’s Samegrelo region. Traditionally prepared using cottage cheese, it can also be made with matsoni (click here for recipe). In this recipe we have used cottage cheese.

Ingredients: 1 kilo of new cheese (we used Imeretian cheese), 500 grams of cottage cheese, 1 liter of milk (or water), 100 grams of fresh mint, and salt (amount dependent upon personal preference).

Chop the mint, add to a mortar and crush together with salt.

Slice the cheese.

Boil water in a large pot and add the cheese as soon as the water is boiling.

Use a wooden spoon to smash the cheese. After 2 minutes, turn off the heat and continue to smash the cheese for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is soft and flexible.

Remove the softened cheese and place on a wet wooden preparation board.

Use your hands and fingers to knead and flatten the cheese.

Add the softened cheese to a plate and flatten and smooth it into a circular shape..

Add the cottage cheese to a mixing bowl, together with half of the crushed mint. Mix thoroughly.

Add 1 liter of milk. Mix thoroughly.

The consistency of the mixture should look like the picture below.

Carefully spread the remaining half of the crushed mint to the surface of the gebzhalia.

Use a knife to cut the gebzhalia into portions. Pour the cottage cheese mixture over the gebzhalia.

Serving: Serve cold. We garnished ours with a little fresh mint.

Enjoy your Gebzhalia with Cottage Cheese!