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Georgia · Samtskhe

Meskhetian Tatarberaki with Garlic Matsoni

Make Georgian Meskhetian tatarberaki: tender boiled dough squares with cold garlic matsoni and onion softened in clarified butter

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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Wide serving bowl of Meskhetian tatarberaki with tender dough squares, garlic matsoni and clarified-butter onion.
Yield4 main-course portions
ServingOne-quarter of the boiled dough, garlic matsoni and onion finish
DifficultyModerate
DietVegetarian; contains wheat (gluten) and milk
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The dish

About Meskhetian Tatarberaki with Garlic Matsoni

Tender boiled squares of unleavened dough with cool garlic matsoni and onion softened in clarified butter.

Tatarberaki is a Meskhetian dish from Samtskhe in southern Georgia. It is made from a simple flour-and-water dough, rolled thin, cut into pieces and boiled. Regional descriptions include both small squares and flattened butterfly-like pieces; this home version uses small squares.

The dough is served hot with cold matsoni stirred with garlic and soft onion cooked in clarified butter. Matsoni is a cultured dairy product with a clean tang. Use a commercial pasteurized product and keep it chilled. The quantities here make four main-course portions; they are a practical home formulation rather than a claim that one canonical formula exists.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Meskhetian Tatarberaki with Garlic Matsoni

Dough

  • 500 gstrong bread flour, sifted or loosened
  • 5 gfine salt
  • 270 mlcold water

Cooking water

  • 3litres water
  • 8 gsalt

Garlic matsoni

  • 400 gplain whole-milk matsoni, cold and unsweetened
  • 6 ggarlic (about 2 cloves), finely grated or crushed

Onion finish

  • 150 gonion, thinly sliced
  • 30 gclarified butter
Method

Method

  1. Mix and knead the dough. Combine the flour and 5 g salt. Add 270 ml cold water and knead for 8–10 minutes, until firm, smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

  2. Make the garlic matsoni. Stir the cold matsoni with the finely grated or crushed garlic. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

  3. Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a sheet about 2 mm thick. Cut into strips, then squares about 2.5 cm across. Keep the pieces lightly floured and separated.

  4. Boil the dough. Bring 3 litres water with 8 g salt to a full boil. Add the dough squares in batches and stir gently once to separate. Boil steadily until they float and are tender, about 3–5 minutes per batch. Drain thoroughly.

  5. Soften the onion. Meanwhile, melt 30 g clarified butter in a frying pan. Add the sliced onion and cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, until soft and pale golden without browning deeply.

  6. Serve. Divide the hot dough squares among four warmed shallow bowls. Spoon over the chilled garlic matsoni and top with the warm onion and butter. Serve at once.

  7. Store leftovers. Refrigerate the dough and onion in a shallow container within 2 hours at or below 4°C; use within 3–4 days. Keep unused matsoni sauce refrigerated. Reheat the dough and onion until steaming hot and at least 74°C, then serve with freshly chilled sauce.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

  • Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, then give it the full covered rest so it rolls without springing back.
  • Keep the sheet close to 2 mm thick and dust the cut squares lightly so they stay separate.
  • Cook in batches at a steady boil; drain well so the cold matsoni does not become watery.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

Working with the dough. A firm dough rolls cleanly after resting. If pieces stick while cutting, dust them lightly with flour and separate them before they reach the water.

Matsoni and substitute. Matsoni has a distinct cultured tang. If it is unavailable, plain unsweetened whole-milk yogurt with similar thickness and tang can be used; name it as a substitute because it is not matsoni. Keep either sauce chilled and return it promptly to the refrigerator after serving.

Boiling and serving. Add the squares in batches so the water returns quickly to a boil. Tenderness is the doneness cue; floating alone does not guarantee that the centres are cooked. Drain thoroughly, then serve straight away with the cold sauce and warm onion.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: One-quarter of the recipe
  • Calories: About 600 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: About 100 g
  • Protein: About 19 g
  • Fat: About 13 g
  • Fibre: About 4 g
  • Sodium: About 700 mg

These are approximate values for one of four portions, using plain whole-milk yogurt as a composition proxy for matsoni. The sodium estimate allows for the dough salt and a small retained portion of the 8 g cooking-water salt; most salted water is drained away. Actual matsoni composition and salt retention vary.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten) and milk. Use pasteurized commercial matsoni; keep it at or below 4°C. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat the dough and onion to at least 74°C, checked with a food thermometer; serve with freshly chilled sauce. Check ingredient labels for additional allergens and cross-contact.

The result

The result

  • Small, tender dough squares carry the contrast of cool, tangy garlic matsoni and warm, soft onion.
  • A thin sheet, brief boil and thorough draining keep the pieces distinct and the serving sauce creamy.
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