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    Home » Recipes » Sauces

    Adjika Paste | Authentic Georgian Spice Paste

    Published: Jun 21, 2016 · Modified: Apr 5, 2021 by Charlé Visser · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments · 787 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

    jump to recipe

    There are lots of different recipes and versions of adjika and each household and region makes it's own slightly different version. This recipe uses authentic spices and, a traditional method is used to make this delicious spice paste.

    adjika paste on a spoon
    Jump to:
    • What is adjika?
    • Why this recipe
    • Ingredients needed
    • How to make it
    • How to use it
    • Related recipes
    • Useful equipment for this recipe
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What is adjika?

    Adkija is a spice paste that comes from Abkhazia and Georgia.

    It often consists of peppers, tomato paste, garlic and local spices like fenugreek, coriander and fennel seeds.

    For those not familiar with Georgia food. The cuisine is based on locally sourced and highly seasonal ingredients.

    Cooking methods are kept simple to bring out the best of what the land offers.

    This Georgian summer salad is a great example of it.

    Why this recipe

    I first came across adjika as a sauce made with tomatoes. It arrived with some grilled lamb cutlets and although it was good lamb the sauce just rocked the party.

    To make a long story short I asked many folks about adjika. As with many of these pastes and sauces, I got told loads of different recipes and each person had their own opinion on what is traditional and what is not.

    In the end, my research brought me to a few key ingredients and spices which to my opinion makes this recipe the most versatile spice paste to use.

    Reason being that you can use it in anything from dipping sauces to making elaborate curries or stews.

    Ingredients needed

    how to mix spices
    Spices needed to make Adjika

    You will also need the following:

    • 1 ½ red peppers
    • 8 cloves garlic
    • 1 tablespoon coriander root/stalks
    • 2 red chillies

    Below is an Amazon link(affiliate) to get blue fenugreek:

    How to make it

    Toast a handful of walnuts and crush them into a fine powder.

    To get the best flavour out of the spices we will toast them in a pan over medium heat while shaking the pan to prevent it from burning.

    how to toast spices for adjika

    Once toasted and fragrant we will transfer the mix to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind into a finer mix.

    adjika spices

    Next we will purée some garlic, chili, coriander root and red peppers. If you like doing hand stands in the shower then add as much chili(along with their seeds) as your .... heart desires.

    hot chilli sauce recipe

    Once our ingredients are purée we are going to cook it on medium heat until the mix is fragrant and the raw smell of chili and garlic is gone.

    hot sauce recipe

    Final step is to add in the spice mix, walnuts and season it with some salt and vinegar.

    homemade adjika paste

    How to use it

    Rub it over grilled or barbecued meats like this crispy pork belly or lamb chops.

    Even roasted fish is great with this or try adding a small spoon full to this mashed potato recipe.

    Add some to the cure mix for this home-cured salmon gravlax or brush this pan-seared salmon fillet with a bit of paste to give it a little spicy kick and Middle Eastern touch.

    Toss with some steamed or roasted broccoli.

    Related recipes

    • Georgian salad
    • Indian curry paste
    • Thai spiced nuts

    Useful equipment for this recipe

    mortar and pestle

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    If you found this post helpful or have learned something, comment, subscribe, and follow me on social platforms for more tasty recipes.

    Recipe

    adjika paste on a spoon
    5 from 21 votes
    Pin Recipe Print

    Adjika Paste

    Adjika is the perfect spice paste to use with grilled meats, fish or vegetables. It's extensively used in Georgian and Abckazian cuisine.
    Author Charlé Visser
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 8 portion
    Course Condiments
    Cuisine Abkhazian, Georgian, Russian
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    For the puree:

    • 1 ½ (1 ½ ) red bell peppers
    • 8 cloves (8 cloves) garlic
    • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) cilantro
    • 2 (2 ) red chillies

    For the dry mix:

    • 100 g (6/7 cups) walnuts - roasted and crushed fine
    • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) blue fenugreek - or khmeli suneli
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) coriander seeds
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried basil
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) aniseed
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) dried chili flakes
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) thyme seeds
    • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) garlic powder

    For the seasoning:

    • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) salt
    • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) white wine vinegar

    Instructions

    For the puree:

    • Puree the garlic, chili, coriander root and red peppers using a hand-held blender or mincer. If you like doing hand stands in the shower then add as much chili(along with their seeds) as your .... heart desires.
    • Once our ingredients are pureed we are going to cook it on medium heat until the mix is fragrant and the raw smell of chili and garlic is gone.

    For the dry mix:

    • Toast a handful of walnuts and crush them into a fine powder.
    • To get the best flavour out of the spices we will toast them in a pan over medium heat while shaking the pan to prevent it from burning.
    • Once they are toasted and fragrant we will transfer the mix to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to grind into a finer mix.

    The final product:

    • Add the spice mix and walnuts to the cooked puree and season it with the salt and vinegar.

    Notes

    • If you like it hot add then crank up the heat with more chillies or hotter ones like birds eye or habanero.
    • Store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
    • Freeze for longer storage.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 20g Calories: 864.79kcal Carbohydrates: 55.15g Protein: 24.88g Fat: 68.92g Saturated Fat: 6.52g Sodium: 1013.07mg Fiber: 20.01g Sugar: 15.3g Vitamin A: 36.59IU Vitamin C: 412.22mg Calcium: 30.96mg Iron: 68.04mg
    Keywords:adjika, spice paste, traditional
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    Did you make this?Tag @pantsdownapronson or hashtag #pantsdownapronson so I can see your hot skills!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. James Van Niekerk

      at

      Very tasty paste. Used it to marinate some pork neck for the braai. Highly recommended.

      Reply
      • Charlé

        at

        Glad you enjoy it, James! Will try that myself, sounds good)

        Reply
    2. Iana

      at

      Thank you for this recipe. This is the closest adjika recipe to what I grew up with in Russia!

      Reply
      • Charlé

        at

        Glad you liked it Iana!

        Reply
      • Han

        at

        Waw great recipe! I was wondering if i wznt to keep this in my basement. Can i fill my jars, sterilize for 10 min at 96degrees celcius?
        Greetings!!

        Reply
        • Charlé Visser

          at

          Sure can do! Enjoy!

          Reply
    3. Colin

      at

      I am going to have a go at making this in the UK. What is the shelf life for this paste? A few weeks or does it ferment and get better with age for a few months?

      Reply
      • Charlé Visser

        at

        I never kept it for longer than a week because I use it all the time, but you can age it if you want. Just keep it in the fridge, sealed airtight or in a vac pac bag. Fermenting it is a nice idea!

        Reply
    4. Russ

      at

      5 stars
      Was I'm Georgia and brought back 4 kilos of the spice mix ready to make just add the red bell pepper this stuff is crack and I payed 20$ bucks for 4 kilos whats a steal hahaha

      Reply

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