About Mchadi with Imeretian cheese
Mchadi is a plain Georgian cornmeal bread: crisp and golden outside, close-textured inside. In Imereti it is commonly served with cheese, including Imeretian cheese. This version keeps the cheese separate from the dough, so each hot round can be split and eaten with a slice at the table.
Mchadi is a Georgian bread made from cornmeal and water. It is especially associated with western Georgia, where maize bread is eaten in place of wheat bread. Plain mchadi is distinct from chvishtari: the Imeretian cheese in this serving is sliced and served alongside, not stuffed into or mixed through the dough.
The dough contains white cornmeal, water and a little salt. Add the water gradually and stop once the meal forms a firm, pliable mass that holds when pressed. Different cornmeal grinds absorb differently. If the dough cracks at the edges, smooth it with damp fingers; if it feels wet and slumps, work in a little extra cornmeal from the measured amount rather than adding wheat flour.
A lightly oiled heavy skillet makes a practical home version. Covering the first side helps the rounds cook through before they are turned; uncover them for the second side so the surface can brown. Serve them as soon as they leave the pan, with the Imeretian cheese on the side. Mchadi firms as it cools.
