Name: Gebzhalia: Georgian Cheese Rolls with Mint
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 500 g pasteurized young, low-salt Imeruli/Chkinti cheese or very fresh Sulguni, sliced 5–7 mm thick; low-moisture mozzarella is a functional substitute; 1.5 l water for softening the cheese; discard remaining liquid; 25 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, divided (20 g for filling, 5 g for sauce); 15 g fresh coriander leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; 5 g garlic, finely grated (about 1 clove); 5 g mild fresh green chili, finely chopped; optional; 2 g fine salt; reduce or omit if the cheese is salty; 150 g nadughi, drained; 200 g plain whole-milk matsoni or unsweetened full-fat yogurt

Wide view of mint-filled Gebzhalia cheese rolls arranged on the right beside mint yogurt sauce, with open table space on the left.

Yield4 appetizer portions; 3 slices per portion

Preparation20 minutes

Cooking15 minutes

Passive time0 minutes

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The dish

About Gebzhalia: Georgian Cheese Rolls with Mint

გებჟალია · 4 appetizer portions · Moderate · 35 minutes

Gebzhalia is a cheese dish associated with Samegrelo in western Georgia. Household versions vary: cooks may use young Imeruli or Chkinti cheese, very fresh Sulguni, nadughi, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt or sour cream. This version follows a rolled cheese sheet filled with crushed mint and served with a matsoni or plain-yogurt sauce. It is served warm or at room temperature; sources differ on serving temperature.

The cheese needs to be young and supple enough to soften in hot water and form one stretchy sheet. Slice it evenly so it warms at the same rate. Once the pieces fuse, lift the mass out promptly and flatten it while warm; prolonged kneading makes the cheese firmer and denser. Pasteurized low-moisture mozzarella can stand in where fresh Georgian cheese is unavailable, though its salt and stretch vary.

Fresh mint, coriander, garlic and a little green chili make a bright filling. Nadughi adds a soft, creamy body. Roll the cheese while pliable, slice across the spiral and serve with a cool mint-yogurt sauce. Taste the cheese before adding salt: young Sulguni may already be salty. The recipe makes an appetizer, not a cheese-filled bread or a cornmeal dish.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

გებჟალია · 4 appetizer portions · Moderate · 35 minutes

Cheese roll

500 gpasteurized young, low-salt Imeruli/Chkinti cheese or very fresh Sulguni, sliced 5–7 mm thick; low-moisture mozzarella is a functional substitute
1.5 lwater for softening the cheese; discard remaining liquid
25 gfresh mint leaves, finely chopped, divided (20 g for filling, 5 g for sauce)
15 gfresh coriander leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
5 ggarlic, finely grated (about 1 clove)
5 gmild fresh green chili, finely chopped; optional
2 gfine salt; reduce or omit if the cheese is salty
150 gnadughi, drained

Mint-yogurt sauce

200 gplain whole-milk matsoni or unsweetened full-fat yogurt

Method

Make the filling. Pound or finely chop 20 g mint with the coriander, garlic, optional green chili and salt until moist and fragrant. Fold in the drained nadughi. If the cheese is salty, leave out the salt.
Mix the sauce. Stir the remaining 5 g mint into the matsoni or yogurt. Keep refrigerated while shaping the cheese.
Soften the cheese. Bring the water to a boil in a wide heavy saucepan, then lower the heat so it no longer boils vigorously. Add cheese slices in batches and stir gently with a wooden spoon until they soften and fuse into one pliable mass, about 5–8 minutes. Stop kneading as soon as the mass comes together.
Flatten while warm. Lift the cheese onto a clean board with a slotted spoon. With wet hands, press it promptly into a rectangle about 5 mm thick. Work while it is still warm and flexible.
Fill and roll. Spread the mint-nadughi mixture evenly over the cheese, leaving a narrow border. Roll firmly from one long side and pinch the seam closed.
Slice and serve. Cut crosswise into 12 slices about 1.5 cm thick. Arrange 3 slices per portion and spoon the mint-yogurt sauce over or around them. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Excerpt

Warm young cheese is softened, spread with mint and nadughi, rolled into a spiral and served with a cool matsoni sauce.

Practical guidance

Use pasteurized, young cheese that softens and stretches; aged or dry cheese may not fuse into a sheet. If the cheese is still firm after 5 minutes, keep the water at a gentle simmer and stir a little longer. Remove it as soon as it becomes pliable rather than kneading it smooth for a long time. Flatten on a clean board with wet hands before it cools. If the roll cracks, press the seam together while the cheese is still warm. Keep the yogurt sauce cold until serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container at 4 °C or below for 3–4 days; reheat gently until the center reaches 74 °C. The cheese may firm up or release liquid after storage.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per portion

Energy: approximately 506 kcal
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Protein: 35 g
Fat: 35 g
Fibre: 1 g
Sodium: 1,000 mg
Basis: approximate generic profiles for young cheese proxied by low-moisture mozzarella, nadughi proxied by ricotta, plain whole-milk yogurt, herbs, chili and 2 g salt, divided among four portions. Cheese salt, moisture and fat vary substantially.

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk from the cheese, nadughi and matsoni or yogurt. Use pasteurized dairy and keep it refrigerated until preparation. Use clean hands and utensils when handling the warm cheese and ready-to-eat herbs. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4 °C or below for 3–4 days. Reheat to 74 °C at the center.

To serve

Serve three cheese-roll slices per portion with the mint-yogurt sauce; warm Ghomi may be offered separately as a traditional accompaniment, but is not part of this recipe.
Add extra fresh mint only if desired; it is not included in the measured ingredients or nutrition estimate.