Sour Plum Sauce (Tkemali) is Georgian (Russian) in origin and is easily found ready made in Russian neighborhoods. It is the Georgian equivalent to catsup- although it has a much more complex flavor. Both catsup and Sour Plum Sauce (Tkemali) have fruit as their base-tomatoes for catsup and sour plums for Tkemali. As sour plums are not so easy to find all year round, I developed this recipe adding herbs and spices etc. to plum preserves. Make it at least one day in advance so that the flavors have a chance to mellow. You don’t have to just use this sauce on Armenian Meatballs. Use it on everything!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Sour Plum Sauce
By Published: January 5, 2015
Yield:
- 1 cup
Ingredients
- 13 ounces plum preserves
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 large Garlic Cloves peeled and crushed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves stemmed, minced, rinsed
- 1/3 cup cilantro stemmed, minced, rinsed
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan non-reactive
Directions
- Scrape preserves into saucepan. Add lemon juice, garlic and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Taste. Add more lemon juice if desired. Stir in minced herbs. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.
