Home›World of Food›Georgian National Dishes›Ajarian Sinori — Rolled Lavash with Garlic, Ricotta and Sulguni
Georgia

Ajarian Sinori — Rolled Lavash with Garlic, Ricotta and Sulguni

Make Ajarian-style Sinori with upright lavash spirals, a warm garlic-butter ricotta sauce and melted Sulguni. A measured home version baked until lightly golden

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
Share
A round dish of creamy Ajarian Sinori sits on the right side of a wooden table, with open space to the left; the upright lavash rolls and browned edges are visible.
Yield6 portions, about 1.1 kg before serving
Serving basisabout 183 g per portion, based on the approximate finished yield
DifficultyEasy; roll the bread loosely so sauce can run between the layers
Dietary classificationVegetarian only if the cheeses use suitable rennet; contains milk and wheat/gluten
Jump to recipe ↓
The dish

About Ajarian Sinori — Rolled Lavash with Garlic, Ricotta and Sulguni

სინორი აჭარული · 6 portions · about 1.1 kg · Easy · 45 minutes

Sinori is associated with Adjara in southwestern Georgia. Its defining arrangement is thin dough or bread rolled into short spirals, packed upright, and softened beneath a hot dairy sauce. A dedicated Georgian tourism description calls the thin sheets iukha and describes butter, cheese curds, garlic and water; other regional descriptions record variations in the sauce and in whether the rolls are baked or softened on the stovetop.

This home version uses thin store-bought lavash and full-fat ricotta as a practical stand-in for Georgian nadughi, a fresh whey cheese. The substitutions make the formula measurable and repeatable, but they do not turn ricotta into nadughi. Grated Sulguni covers the rolls and melts into the sauce. The dish is rich and best served warm, soon after baking.

Keep the lavash rolls loose enough for the butter-and-cheese sauce to flow between their layers. During the first part of baking, foil traps steam and softens the interior; uncovering at the end browns the exposed edges. The top should bubble and the spirals should remain visible rather than collapsing into a flat, fully submerged layer.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

სინორი აჭარული · 6 portions · about 1.1 kg · Easy · 45 minutes

For 6 portions

  • 300 gthin lavash sheets, pliable
  • 200 gunsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 300 gwhole-milk ricotta, pasteurized
  • 200 gpasteurized Sulguni, coarsely grated
  • 10 ggarlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 125 mlwhole milk, added gradually
  • 2 gfine salt
Method

Method

  1. Heat the oven and prepare the dish. Heat the oven to 180 °C. Set a 26 cm round oven-safe dish at least 5 cm deep on the work surface.

  2. Roll the lavash. Cut the sheets into strips about 8–10 cm wide. Roll each strip loosely into a short spiral, then stand the rolls cut-side up in the dish. Pack them snugly enough to stay upright, but do not crush them.

  3. Make the garlic-butter sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the ricotta until smooth, then gradually stir in the milk until the sauce is pourable. Add the measured salt.

  4. Assemble the dish. Pour the warm sauce slowly and evenly over the lavash rolls. It should come about two-thirds of the way up them. Scatter the grated Sulguni over the tops.

  5. Bake covered, then uncover. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until the cheese bubbles and the exposed bread edges are lightly golden.

  6. Rest and serve. Let the dish stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm from the baking dish while the edges are still lightly crisp and the inner layers are soft.

Excerpt

Excerpt

Thin lavash is rolled into upright spirals and baked beneath a rich garlic-butter and ricotta sauce. Grated Sulguni melts over the top, while the exposed bread edges turn lightly golden.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Weigh 300 g of thin, pliable lavash after removing it from its packaging.
  • Roll the strips loosely and stand them cut-side up without crushing them.
  • Warm the garlic gently; browned garlic can taste bitter.
  • Add the milk gradually until the ricotta sauce pours easily between the rolls.
  • Cover first to soften the inner layers, then uncover to brown the exposed edges.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

Choose large, thin lavash sheets that bend without cracking; thick pocket bread will not form the same visible spirals. Handle dry sheets gently rather than forcing a tight roll. Ricotta varies in moisture: drain it briefly only if liquid is pooling in the container. Add the measured milk gradually because the sauce needs to pour between the rolls, not run off as a thin liquid.

Sulguni can be saltier than the mozzarella used as a nutrition proxy. The sauce is lightly seasoned, so taste a little with the cheese before adding extra salt. Check the labels on the lavash and cheeses for salt content, milk, wheat and any other declared allergens.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

  • The lavash cracks while rolling: it may be dry or cold. Cover the sheets with a clean towel for a few minutes to reduce surface drying, then roll gently.
  • The sauce sits only on top: the rolls may be packed too tightly. Before baking, use the back of a spoon to guide the sauce into open gaps between them.
  • The top browns too quickly: cover the dish again loosely with foil and continue until the centre is hot and the cheese has melted.
  • The rolls turn uniformly soft: this is expected after the dish stands or is stored. Serve shortly after the uncovered bake for the best edge-to-centre contrast.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving (approximate)

  • Serving size: about 183 g, based on an approximate finished yield of 1.1 kg
  • Calories: 580 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: 32 g
  • Protein: 19 g
  • Fat: 42 g
  • Fibre: 1 g
  • Sodium: approximately 620 mg
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk and wheat/gluten. Use pasteurized ricotta and Sulguni. Vegetarian suitability depends on the rennet used in the cheeses. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32 °C. Keep at 4 °C or colder and use within 3–4 days, or freeze. Reheat evenly with a splash of milk until the centre reaches 74 °C; check with a food thermometer. The lavash softens during storage and loses some of its crisp edge.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Is ricotta the same as nadughi? No. Nadughi is a Georgian fresh whey cheese. This home version uses ricotta as a practical stand-in with a similar soft, mild texture; the products are not identical.

Can I use cottage cheese instead? Full-fat cottage cheese can be used if drained until it is no longer watery, though its curds may leave the sauce less smooth than ricotta.

Can I prepare it ahead? You can roll the lavash and arrange it in the dish shortly before baking. The crisp edges are best soon after the uncovered bake; after refrigeration and reheating, the bread becomes softer throughout.

In summary

In summary

  • The result: upright lavash spirals with soft, sauce-soaked centres, lightly browned edges and melted Sulguni.
  • The key technique: make a pourable garlic-butter and ricotta sauce, then bake covered before uncovering to brown.
Keep exploring Georgia

More Georgian dishes

See all recipes →
Shallow ceramic bowl of glossy dark-red Kakhetian grape pudding sprinkled with chopped walnuts on a rustic wooden surface.
Georgia · Georgian dish

Kakhetian Tatara — Georgian Grape Pudding with Walnuts

View recipe →
A clay bowl of dark green Kartli sorrel shechamandi topped with coriander and crushed walnuts beside Georgian bread.
Georgia · Georgian dish

Sorrel Shechamandi Kartli — Georgian Sorrel and Walnut Soup

View recipe →
A handmade ceramic bowl of pale Georgian matsoni shechamandi with dill and coriander, with bread softly visible behind it.
Georgia · Georgian dish

Matsvnis Shechamandi — Georgian Matsoni Soup (Kartli)

View recipe →