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Megrelian Walnut Kharcho Seasoning Paste

Make a coarse walnut, smoked pepper and spice paste for Samegrelo-style kharcho. This measured batch seasons a pot made with about 1 kg beef

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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Wide view of Megrelian walnut seasoning paste in a rustic bowl beside smoked pepper.
YieldAbout 375 g; seasons one pot of kharcho with about 1 kg beef
Serving basis1/6 of the paste batch, stirred into the finished pot
DifficultyEasy
Dietary classificationDairy-free; the paste itself is vegetarian, though intended for beef kharcho
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The dish

About Megrelian Walnut Kharcho Seasoning Paste

Freshly ground walnuts and smoked spices form a coarse paste that is stirred into the kharcho pot at the finish.

In Samegrelo, kharcho seasoning is not simply a dry spice blend. Smoked red pepper, garlic, coriander and blue fenugreek are crushed with walnuts and loosened with beef broth.

These home proportions are sized for a pot using about 1 kg beef. Household recipes vary, so this is one practical version rather than a single canonical formula.

Make the paste while the meat broth is ready and stir it into the kharcho near the end. Walnut sauce should only return briefly to a simmer; prolonged boiling can make it separate or turn heavy.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Full recipe

Seasoning paste

  • 250 gshelled walnuts, finely ground
  • 2garlic cloves (about 10 g), peeled
  • 2 gground coriander
  • 2 gground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
  • 2dried smoked red peppers, stems removed (seeds removed for less heat)
  • 100 mlhot, unsalted beef broth from the kharcho, plus up to 30 ml if needed
  • 4 gfine salt, or to taste
Method

Method

  1. Grind the walnuts Process the walnuts to a fine meal, stopping as soon as they begin to release oil, before they turn into butter.

  2. Make the seasoning paste Add the garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, smoked peppers and salt. Pound or pulse until the pepper is evenly distributed and the mixture is a coarse, cohesive paste.

  3. Loosen with broth If you ground the mixture in a food processor, transfer it to a separate bowl; if you used a mortar, keep it there. Stir in 100 ml hot, unsalted beef broth by hand. Add extra broth only a spoonful at a time, up to 30 ml, until the thick paste falls slowly from a spoon. Never blend hot liquid in a sealed appliance.

  4. Adjust the seasoning The paste should taste boldly smoky and hot, with the walnuts still clearly present.

  5. Finish the kharcho Immediately stir the paste into the kharcho pot made with about 1 kg beef. Bring it just to a brief simmer, then remove the walnut kharcho from the heat; do not boil it for a long time.

Excerpt

Excerpt

A measured walnut, smoked pepper and spice paste for a pot of Samegrelo-style kharcho made with about 1 kg beef.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Use unsalted broth so you can control the salt. If the broth is seasoned, omit or reduce the added salt.
  • For milder heat, remove the pepper seeds or start with one pepper. Keep the smoked pepper; bell pepper changes the dish’s character.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

  • Use unsalted broth so you can control the salt. If the broth is seasoned, omit or reduce the added salt.
  • For milder heat, remove the pepper seeds or start with one pepper. Keep the smoked pepper; bell pepper changes the dish’s character.
  • This is a fresh kharcho component, not a dry pantry mix. Make shortly before use. Refrigerate unused paste within 2 hours at 4°C or below and use within 3 days, or freeze.
Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: 1/6 of paste batch
  • Calories: ≈280 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: ≈8 g
  • Protein: ≈7 g
  • Fat: ≈28 g
  • Fibre: ≈3.5 g
  • Sodium: ≈260 mg

Approximate values use the stated ingredient amounts and six portions. Unsalted broth is excluded; pepper size and product labels can change the estimate.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains walnuts (tree nuts). Use clean equipment. Do not blend hot broth in a sealed blender; stir the hot broth into the ground mixture by hand. Refrigerate unused paste within 2 hours at 4°C or below and use within 3 days, or freeze. Do not leave it at room temperature.

Closing notes

Closing notes

  • A coarse, smoky paste with walnut flavor beneath the heat is ready to season one pot of kharcho.
  • Stir it in near the end and stop at a brief simmer so the walnut sauce stays smooth.
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