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Georgia · Samegrelo

Megrelian Gebzhalia (soft cheese rolls with mint and matsoni)

Make Megrelian gebzhalia with warm, supple cheese rolled around crushed mint and served in cool matsoni sauce

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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A rolled sulguni log and mint-filled slices of gebzhalia served with matsoni on a rustic table.
Yield4 appetizer servings; cut the roll into 8 slices.
Active preparation20 minutes
Cookingabout 15 minutes, including softening and shaping the cheese
Passive time15 minutes to chill and set
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The dish

About Megrelian Gebzhalia (soft cheese rolls with mint and matsoni)

### გებჟალია

Gebzhalia is a Megrelian dish of young cheese softened in hot water, spread with crushed mint and rolled. When sliced, the soft cheese shows a green herb spiral; the pieces are served with a cool, lightly tangy matsoni sauce.

This four-serving home version uses low-salt, elastic young sulguni or fresh Imeruli-style cheese. Cheese varies in moisture and stretch, so test one thin slice before softening the whole amount. Add salt only after tasting the filling and cheese.

Shape the cheese while it is still warm and handle it briefly; overworking can make it dense. Chill the sliced rolls in their mint sauce for 15 minutes, then serve as a cool appetizer. Ghomi is a traditional accompaniment, but is not part of this recipe.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Megrelian Gebzhalia (soft cheese rolls with mint and matsoni)

Cheese and softening water

  • 500 gpasteurized young, low-salt sulguni or fresh Imeruli-style cheese, cut into thin slices
  • 2,000 mlwater, brought just to a boil

Mint filling

  • 40 gfresh mint leaves, finely crushed; reserve 10 g for the sauce
  • 15 gfresh coriander leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
  • 1small garlic clove (about 4 g), finely grated
  • 10 gmild fresh green pepper, seeded and minced; omit or reduce for less heat
  • Up to 1 g fine salt, only if the cheese needs it after tasting

Matsoni sauce

  • 250 gcold plain whole-milk matsoni or unsweetened plain whole-milk yogurt
Method

Method

  1. Prepare the herbs and sauce. Wash and dry the herbs. Crush 30 g mint with the coriander, garlic, green pepper and optional salt to make a moist, coarse paste. Stir the reserved 10 g mint into the cold matsoni and refrigerate it.

  2. Test the cheese. Cut a small slice from the measured cheese and soften it in just-boiled water. It should become pliable and stretch gently when stirred. If it remains crumbly or rubbery, do not force the batch; use a suitable young, high-moisture cheese.

  3. Soften the remaining cheese. Bring 2,000 ml water to a boil in a broad saucepan, then turn off the heat. Add the cheese gradually and stir gently with a wooden spoon until the slices join into one soft, glossy mass. Lift it out as soon as it is pliable; prolonged heating makes it tough.

  4. Flatten while warm. Transfer the cheese to a clean heatproof board or damp parchment. With damp hands or a lightly oiled rolling pin, press and stretch it into an even sheet about 25 × 20 cm. Work quickly and do not knead it for long.

  5. Fill and roll. Spread the herb paste thinly over the cheese, leaving a narrow border. Roll it up firmly but gently, place it seam-side down and cut it into 8 even slices with a sharp, damp knife.

  6. Chill and serve. Arrange the slices in a shallow dish and spoon the cold mint matsoni sauce over them. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set. Serve cool, and do not leave the dairy dish out for more than 2 hours.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

  • Test a small slice first: it should become supple and stretch gently in hot water. Stop if it stays crumbly or rubbery.
  • Have the herb paste and cold matsoni sauce ready before softening the cheese; the warm sheet is easiest to shape promptly.
  • Dampen your hands and board lightly, then press the cheese into an even sheet without prolonged kneading.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

  • Fresh sulguni and Imeruli-style cheeses differ in salt, moisture and elasticity. Choose a young, pliable cheese; the test slice helps avoid wasting the full amount.
  • Keep the matsoni cold while working. Prepare the paste and shaping surface first so the warm cheese can be flattened before it cools.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is hotter than 32°C. Store covered at 4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days; serve cold rather than reheating.
Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Approximate values for one quarter of the recipe, including the optional 1 g salt in the full batch:

  • Energy: about 460 kcal.
  • Carbohydrates: about 8 g.
  • Protein: about 31 g.
  • Fat: about 30 g.
  • Fibre: about 1 g.
  • Sodium: about 780 mg.
  • Basis: estimated batch totals are about 1,840 kcal, 32 g carbohydrate, 124 g protein, 120 g fat, 4 g fibre and 3,120 mg sodium, divided by four and rounded. Whole-milk mozzarella and plain whole-milk yogurt are composition proxies. Georgian fresh cheese can vary widely, and some salt may remain in the discarded softening water; package labels give a closer estimate.
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk. Use pasteurized cheese and pasteurized matsoni or yogurt; keep both refrigerated and follow their package directions. Use clean hands and utensils, and take care with boiling water and hot cheese. Keep the finished dish chilled; refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C), store at 4°C or colder, and use within 3–4 days.

Serving and finish

Serving and finish

  • The cheese should be tender and supple, with a distinct green mint spiral visible in each slice.
  • Spoon the cool, mint-flecked matsoni over the rolls and serve as a Samegrelo-style appetizer; ghomi is a traditional accompaniment.
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