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Tashmijabi
Mashed potatoes with stretchy cheese
Tashmijabi: Svan mashed potatoes beaten with sulguni until stretchy
Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the mash
- 1 ¾ lb potatoesa floury variety, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup whole milkhot
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 10 ½ oz young sulguni or low-moisture mozzarellagrated
- ½ tsp Svanetian saltoptional, to sprinkle
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Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Return to the pan over a low heat and mash with 1 ⅜ oz butter and ½ cup whole milk until smooth.
Step 3: Add 10 ½ oz young sulguni or low-moisture mozzarella in three goes, beating hard with a wooden spoon after each, until the mash turns glossy and pulls up in long strings. Common mistake: adding cold cheese to cooled potato; it stays lumpy.
5 minStep 4: Spoon onto a warm plate, sprinkle with ½ tsp Svanetian salt and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tashmijabi take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 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 potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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