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Mujdei
Mujdei: Romanian pounded garlic sauce with salt, water and oil
Fierce, white and pungent, mujdei is the garlic sauce that every Romanian region claims, pounded in a wooden bowl and spooned over whatever comes off the grill. Traditionally it goes with grilled pork, fried fish from the Danube and the Christmas pork feast, but it is just as good on boiled or fried potatoes, grilled peppers, aubergine and hot mămăligă. Garlic is crushed to a paste with salt, then loosened with cold water and a little oil until it looks like thin cream. The usual slip is blitzing it in a blender, which makes it bitter and frothy; a mortar or the flat of a knife gives a cleaner flavour. Garlic in oil can grow harmful bacteria at room temperature, so keep leftovers in the fridge and use within 2 days. Chef's tip: let it stand 10 minutes before serving so the raw edge mellows a little.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 12 garlic clovesabout 1 large head, peeled
- ½ tsp coarse salt
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)optional sharpness
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)finely chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Slice the 12 garlic cloves thinly and put it in a mortar or a small wooden bowl with the ½ tsp coarse salt.
2 minStep 2: Pound and grind with the pestle for 3–4 minutes, until the garlic becomes a smooth, sticky, almost white paste with no visible pieces.
4 minStep 3: Add the ¼ cup cold water a tablespoon at a time, grinding after each addition, until the sauce is the thickness of single cream.
2 minStep 4: Stir in the 2 tbsp sunflower oil and the 1 tsp white wine vinegar if using; the sauce will turn opaque and slightly glossy.
1 minStep 5: Scatter over the 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, leave to stand for 10 minutes, then serve. Refrigerate any leftovers in a clean, covered jar and use within 2 days.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 50 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mujdei take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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