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Elarji
Cornmeal and cheese porridge
Elarji: Mingrelian cornmeal porridge stirred with stretchy sulguni
Elarji is the pride of Zugdidi and the rest of Samegrelo, where cornmeal is the everyday staple; the porridge is cooked until thick, then beaten with so much grated sulguni that it pulls up in long, glossy strings as you serve it. It goes to the table hot, with a bowl of bazhe walnut sauce or spicy ajika, and Mingrelians judge a cook by how long the cheese stretches. A common mistake is adding the cheese while the porridge is still loose; it sinks and goes rubbery instead of weaving through. Chef's tip: use a strong wooden spoon and beat hard in one direction as the cheese melts, which is what builds the stretch. Most sulguni is made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian one or use low-moisture mozzarella.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the porridge
- 4 ¼ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ oz coarse corn grits
- 10 ½ oz sulguni or low-moisture mozzarellacoarsely grated
- ⅔ oz butter
To serve
- 6 tbsp bazhe walnut sauce or ajika
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt to the boil in a heavy pan. Add 1 ¾ oz coarse corn grits and cook for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Pour in 7 oz fine white or yellow cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking all the time, then turn the heat to low.
Step 3: Cook for 25 minutes, stirring hard every couple of minutes, until very thick and pulling away from the sides of the pan; a spoon should stand up in it.
25 minStep 4: Add ⅔ oz butter, then a handful of 10 ½ oz sulguni or low-moisture mozzarella at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after each, until the cheese melts into long elastic strands. Common mistake: adding the cheese too early; the porridge must be thick first.
5 minStep 5: Serve straight away, lifting it with the spoon so the strings stretch, with 6 tbsp bazhe walnut sauce or ajika on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does elarji take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sulguni or low-moisture mozzarella?
- Provolone or a mild cheddar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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