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Tklapi soup
Tklapis tsvniani: Imereti sour plum-leather soup with walnuts and herbs
Tklapi are thin sheets of plum purée dried on boards in the late-summer sun around Kutaisi, rolled up and hung from rafters for the winter; dissolved in hot water, they turn into a sharp, fruity base for soups and sauces. This Imeretian Lenten soup is made in the cold months when fresh fruit is gone, thickened with walnuts and lifted with coriander, mint and garlic. If you cannot find tklapi, use dried sour plum leather or a mix of tkemali sauce and prunes. A common mistake is boiling the soup hard after the walnuts go in; they turn oily and the soup splits. Chef's tip: soak the tklapi in hot water first and rub it through a sieve, so the soup is smooth and free of stones or skins.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
- 3 ½ oz sour plum leather (tklapi)torn into pieces
- 5 cups hot water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 ⅞ oz walnutsfinely ground
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp khmeli-suneli
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
- ⅛ oz fresh mintchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak 3 ½ oz sour plum leather (tklapi) in 300 ml of 1 ¼ cups hot water for 15 minutes, then mash and rub through a sieve to a smooth, thick purée.
15 minStep 2: Warm 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and fry 2 onions for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in 1 tbsp plain flour for 1 minute.
9 minStep 3: Pour in the rest of 3 ¾ cups hot water gradually, stirring, then the plum purée. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Mix 2 ⅞ oz walnuts with 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp khmeli-suneli and a ladle of the soup. Stir into the pan with 1 tsp salt and heat gently for 3 minutes, just below the boil, until it thickens slightly. Common mistake: letting it boil; the walnuts turn greasy.
3 minStep 5: Taste: it should be sour first, then nutty. Stir in ½ oz fresh coriander and ⅛ oz fresh mint and serve hot, with mchadi or bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tklapi soup take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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