How I made Georgian kuchmachi

One day, my husband and I decided to have a real Georgian evening with a traditional dish that would not only diversify our menu but also allow us to touch the culture of this beautiful country. On the internet we came across a recipe for kuchmachi - a tasty Georgian dish made from offal with nuts, herbs and spices. I had only heard of kuchmachi before: we were told it had a rich flavour, aroma and a characteristic acidity from pomegranate. It intrigued us so much that we decided to make it at home.

We started by preparing it for cooking. Offal is not something you often find on a standard shopping list, so our first task was to find out where to buy it. We went to our favourite market, where you can always find something unusual. At the meat counter, the vendor smiled and explained what we needed and offered us some excellent fresh chicken hearts, livers and stomachs. We chose the best pieces and bought fresh coriander, onions, garlic and pomegranate to garnish. We had walnuts at home - one of those wonderful foods that is always in the cupboard because I love adding them to different dishes.

Back at home, with our shopping bags full, we began our culinary experiment. The recipe we found on the internet was quite detailed and we set about it with enthusiasm. My husband set about preparing the by-products. He carefully washed and cut the hearts and stomachs to the same size, leaving the liver intact as the recipe suggested. Meanwhile, I was busy preparing the nuts and spices. The dish called for walnuts, which I first toasted on a dry pan and then chopped into fine crumbs in the blender. Even at this stage, the kitchen was filled with an incredible aroma that reminded me of a trip to Georgia a few years ago, when we enjoyed local dishes on the banks of the Kura River.

With all the ingredients prepared, the main cooking stage began. My husband fried the onions until golden and then added the prepared offal. I watched as the ingredients began to change colour in the pan and the room was filled with spicy aromas. While the meat was cooking, I prepared the nut paste by mixing chopped nuts with garlic, ground coriander and hops. When the offal was ready, we added the nut paste and left everything to simmer on a low heat.

As we watched the mixture in the pan thicken and develop flavours, we could already imagine what the end result would be. The flavours were becoming more intense and we couldn't wait to try it. The recipe said to add wine vinegar to balance the fattiness of the nuts and offal. We followed the instructions carefully, then decided to add some pomegranate juice to brighten the flavour.

When the cuchmachi was ready, we carefully placed it on a plate and garnished it with fresh coriander and pomegranate arils. The dish looked amazing - bright, appetising, with bright red spots of pomegranate and green coriander leaves. But, of course, the most important thing was the taste. We sat down at the table and took the first spoonful. It was incredible! Tender offal combined with nuts and spices created a rich palette of flavours, and the freshness of the coriander and the acidity of the pomegranate added a special piquancy. It was unlike anything we had cooked before.

The result exceeded all our expectations. We expected the kuchmachi to be delicious, but it turned out to be truly amazing. The rich, harmonious flavours of Georgian spices and herbs merged together to create a real culinary masterpiece. My husband, who was initially sceptical about offal, ended up absolutely delighted and said it was one of the best dishes we had ever cooked together.

This experience not only opened up a new dish for us, but also gave us the opportunity to spend an enjoyable evening together, immersed in the process of cooking together. Kuchmachi became a symbol for us of a culinary adventure that we would repeat again and again, experimenting with different ingredients and spices. Now a Georgian evening with kuchmachi is one of our favourite family traditions.

And here's a step-by-step recipe

Ingredients:

• Chicken stomachs - 300g
• Chicken hearts - 300g
• Chicken livers - 300 g
• Onions - 2 pieces
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Walnuts - 150 g
• Fresh coriander - 1 bunch
• Pomegranate arils - 1/2 cup
• Ground coriander - 1 tsp
• Chmeli-suneli - 1 teaspoon
• Red chilli pepper - to taste
• Wine vinegar - 2 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - to taste

Preparation step by step:

1. Preparing the offal. Rinse the chicken stomachs, hearts and livers thoroughly. Cut the stomachs and hearts in half, leaving the liver whole. Cook the stomachs and hearts in salted water until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Add the liver at the end of the cooking time, 10 minutes before the liver is done.
2. Roast the ingredients. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté the finely chopped onion until golden. Add the cooked offal and fry with the onion for 5-7 minutes.
3. Make the walnut paste. Put the walnuts in a blender and grind them into fine crumbs. Mix with the crushed garlic, ground coriander, hops and red pepper. Dilute with wine vinegar to a paste-like consistency.
4. Mix. Add the nut paste to the roasted offal and mix well. Simmer over a low heat for about 10-15 minutes, adding a little water to keep the mixture moist but not dry.
5. Serve. Before serving, sprinkle the kuchmachi with fresh coriander and pomegranate seeds to keep the dish fresh and tasty.

Health benefits:

Cuchmachi is high in protein and healthy fats thanks to the offal and walnuts. The nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for the heart and blood vessels, while the chicken by-products provide the body with B vitamins, iron and other micronutrients. Pomegranate seeds add antioxidants to support immunity and skin health.

P.S. More interesting simple homemade kuchmachi recipe step by step with photos.