Skip to content

Tashmijabi

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
One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

For the mash

Shop this recipe on Amazon

Fresh ingredients (3)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/4 done
  1. Step 1: Cook 1 ¾ lb potatoes in boiling water with 1 tsp salt for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain well and steam dry for 2 minutes.

    20 min
  2. Step 2: Return to the pan over a low heat and mash with 1 ⅜ oz butter and ½ cup whole milk until smooth.

  3. 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 min
  4. Step 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.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

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).

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Sign in to rate and review this recipe.

Baked cream potatoes

Thin potato slices and onion baked in fresh cream with plenty of garlic and coarse black pepper until tender and browned at the edges. Serve as a side dish with pizza or pasta, or as a snack with chilli and tomato sauce.

55 minSidesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fagioli all'uccelletto

Florentines are nicknamed mangiafagioli, bean-eaters, and this is the dish that earned it: creamy cannellini simmered in olive oil with whole sage leaves, crushed garlic and a little tomato. The name, 'little-bird style', comes from the sage and garlic once used to cook small game birds, though there has never been a bird in the pot. In trattorie it sits next to grilled meat as a side; served with crusty bread and greens it makes a full vegetarian supper. The beans should be soft and glossy in a thick, rust-coloured sauce. Chef's tip: let the sage and garlic sizzle gently in the oil before the tomato goes in; that scented oil is the whole flavour of the dish.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Orkney clapshot

Clapshot is the Orkney way with neeps and tatties: equal amounts of swede and potato mashed together with butter, chives and plenty of pepper, rather than served side by side. Islanders eat it with oatcakes and cheese, with mince, or alongside haggis on Burns Night. It is sweet, earthy and soft-orange. Chef's tip: dry the boiled vegetables in the hot pan before mashing, or the swede makes it watery.

by KrazyBadal 0 views
More recipes with:buttermilkpotato