The right taste and aroma of kharcho soup: what seasonings to use and how to prepare the spice mixture yourself?

Kharcho soup is the calling card of Georgia. To experience all its charm, it is important not to deviate from the classic recipe. A good seasoning for kharcho, consisting of bright oriental spices, is especially important. The dish is prepared with utskho-suneli, dried basil, garlic, onion, and red hot pepper.

The most popular spices and seasonings for kharcho

Authentic Georgian kharcho soup consists of many ingredients and spices. And each ingredient plays an important role:

• Tkemali plum sauce made from sour Georgian plums gives the kharcho the right sweet and sour taste.
• Utskho-suneli (fenugreek) has a very original, memorable aroma and taste - walnuts mixed with maple syrup and autumn leaves. It makes you move to a mountain ledge somewhere in Transcaucasia, and feel the smell of a night fire.
• Garlic makes the soup very invigorating, pleasantly burning.
• Hot red pepper gives the spiciness and heat characteristic of traditional kharcho.
• Stewed onions help make the soup thick and jelly-like.
• Basil adds a juicy nutmeg-mint-pepper note.
• Walnuts are a savory, filling addition that is often used in oriental cuisine.
• Fresh herbs make the dish refreshing and easy to digest.

Traditional kharcho is considered a complex dish. It is very important to cook it so that the taste is balanced. The original kharcho is thick, with a unique aroma. It is not easy to collect all the additives for soup, so many people are content with ready-made seasonings.

Seasoning No. 1: Kharcho-Suneli

A common seasoning in Georgia. It contains all the herbs and spices necessary for kharcho:

• utskho-suneli;
• garlic;
• basil;
• coriander;
• red pepper;
• Imeretian saffron.

Various manufacturers and spice compilers in shops use additional ingredients, such as dried tomatoes, marjoram, savory, mint, bay leaf, parsley, ground black pepper, paprika, turmeric. Kharcho-suneli seasoning can contain up to 17 different spices. The richer its composition, the more complex and piquant the Georgian soup turns out. Unfortunately, suneli kharcho is difficult to find on sale in Russia.

Seasoning No. 2: Kotanyi “For Georgian Kharcho”

One of the most popular seasonings in Russia. It is distinguished by a natural and balanced composition, a bouquet characteristic of national dishes. Seasoning comes to the rescue when there is no time or desire to select spices for kharcho. It includes:

• utskho-suneli;
• iodized salt;
• tomato;
• coriander;
• Cayenne pepper;
• safflower;
• black pepper;
• Bay leaf.

Seasoning No. 3: Maggi “Kharcho Dressing”

In addition to spices, Maggi's seasoning contains pieces of vegetables, tomato paste and plum puree. The housewife can only cook the beef broth, boil the rice, and pour the contents of the bag into the pan. The filling contains:

• tomato paste;
• Bell pepper;
• hot peppers;
• plum puree;
• carrot;
• fenugreek;
• basil;
• dill;
• parsley;
• coriander;
• garlic;
• allspice;
• carnation.

One package is designed for 2 liters of broth.

How to prepare a mixture of spices for kharcho yourself?

In order for the seasoning for kharcho to have a richer aroma and taste, you need to buy the spices whole (seeds) and grind them yourself. Experienced chefs adjust the amount of spices by eye. The rest are recommended to adhere to the following proportions:

• Option No. 1: 1 tbsp. spoon utskho-suneli, 1 tbsp. spoon of coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon of Imeretian saffron (dried marigold flowers), 1 teaspoon of hot red pepper.
• Option No. 2: 1 tbsp. dried carrots, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, 0.5 teaspoons of dried garlic, mustard seeds, thyme, a mixture of peppers.
• Option No. 3: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of basil, coriander, dried garlic, paprika, 1 teaspoon each of dried tomatoes, parsley, savory, marjoram, fenugreek, 0.5 teaspoon each of turmeric, cinnamon, black and red ground pepper.

Recipes for kharcho with spices

The national Georgian beef soup with rice and walnuts has many variations. But no matter what recipe is used, the resulting kharcho should be very spicy, spicy, thick and satisfying. We present to your attention two of the most popular recipes - classic and simplified.

Classic recipe

There is nothing tastier than Georgian kharcho from an old chef. Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg beef ribs;
• 1 kg beef pulp;
• 150 g rice;
• 200 g walnuts;
• 4 sour plums;
• 150 g tomatoes in their own juice without skin;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of tomato paste;
• 2 chili peppers;
• 400 g onions;
• 1 bell pepper;
• 1 carrot;
• 50 ml sunflower oil;
• 8 cloves of garlic;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of kharcho-suneli;
• 15-30 g each of fresh cilantro, green onions, parsley, dill, basil, celery;
• salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Recipe:

1. Pour 30 ml of oil into a pan and fry the beef ribs.
2. Pour 2.5 liters of water, add coarsely chopped pulp to the ribs, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Make cuts on the plums and send them to the meat.
4. In a dry frying pan, fry the bell pepper, one onion and carrot, cut into 2-4 pieces until golden brown. Place in broth. Add 3 cloves of garlic and salt to taste (1-2 tablespoons).
5. After the broth boils, remove the foam and reduce the heat to low. Cook the broth until the beef is soft (1-1.5 hours).
6. Remove vegetables from broth. Add rice.
7. Dice the onion and fry in a frying pan in oil for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes in their own juice and finely chopped walnuts. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
8. Prepare adjika from tomato paste, 100 ml of broth, chopped garlic, half of the cilantro, basil, parsley, dill and celery.
9. Add adjika to the frying pan with tomatoes. Simmer for 2 minutes.
10. Remove beef from broth. Cut into portions.
11. Add the aromatic mixture from the frying pan, whole chili peppers, seasoning, bay leaves and finely chopped herbs to the broth. Add salt and pepper if desired.
12. Turn off the heat after 2-3 minutes. Serve kharcho with meat, fresh herbs and onions.

Simple recipe

A simplified version of kharcho can be prepared in less than 1 hour. For preparation you will need:

• 200 g pork;
• 50 g rice (any);
• 1 tomato;
• 1.5 onions;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 teaspoon of tomato paste;
• 3 tbsp. spoons of sunflower oil;
• 1 carrot;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of walnuts;
• 1 teaspoon of spice mixture for kharcho;
• a bunch of greens (cilantro, onion, parsley);
• salt to taste.

Cooking process:

1. Pour 1.25 liters of water over the pork, bring to a boil, skim off the foam.
2. Throw half the carrots, half the onions, herb stems and 1 clove of garlic into the pan. Add salt. Cook for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the stems and vegetables from the broth and add rice. Simmer over low heat while the dressing prepares (12-15 minutes).
4. Dice the remaining onion. Fry in a frying pan with oil for 2 minutes.
5. Finely chop the carrots and add to the onions. After 3 minutes, pour 50 ml of broth into the pan, add tomato paste and crushed nuts. Simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove the skin from the tomato, chop and place in a frying pan. Simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Add the dressing to the soup, season with spices and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes.
8. Finely chop the garlic and herbs, add to the pan, and turn off the heat.
9. Let the kharcho brew under the lid for 10 minutes.

Questions and answers

Is it possible to use hops-suneli instead of utskho-suneli and kharcho-suneli?

Yes. Khmeli-suneli is a compound seasoning that includes utskho-suneli. It should be taken into account that it already contains spicy herbs, saffron and pepper. It’s enough to supplement it with a small amount of basil, and you won’t need any more spices for the kharcho.

What can you substitute for plum sauce?

Fresh sour plums, quince, tklapi (plum marshmallow), ready-made dressing, plum puree, tomato paste with pomegranate juice, wine vinegar.

When to add seasoning to kharcho soup, at the beginning or end of cooking?

Different supplements are administered at different times. Dry spices are added to the soup at the very end, 2-3 minutes before readiness. At the same time, greens are added to the kharcho. Plums and walnuts require longer heat treatment - 10-20 minutes.

Kharcho soup is an incredibly tasty soup: hearty, warming, and does not leave a heaviness in the stomach.It can sit in the refrigerator all week, and every day its taste will become richer and better. It’s not easy to collect all the ingredients and spices for a real classic kharcho, but this dish is worth it. We recommend paying attention to ready-made seasonings and dressings.