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Home » Sauces

Adjika - Authentic Georgian Spice Paste

Modified: Apr 5, 2021 · Published: Jun 21, 2016 by Charlé Visser · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments · 616 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article.

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Adjika is a delicious spice paste that's easy to make, last for ages and makes just about everything taste amazing. This adjika recipe uses authentic spices and a traditional method to produce the best adjika possible. It's fantastic with grilled meats, fish, or vegetables and makes a delicious, quick and easy sauce mixed with yogurt.

Georgian adjika paste on a wooden spoon.
Jump to:
  • What is adjika?
  • Ingredients needed
  • Instructions
  • How to use adjika
  • Storage instructions
  • 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.

Ingredients needed

Labeled spices on a black background.

Apart from the spices, you also need the following:

  • 1 ½ red bell peppers
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 2 red chilies

Instructions

Spices toasting in a pan.
  1. Step 1: Toast a handful of walnuts in a dry pan and blend them into until you have a sandy texture. Toast the spices in the same pan and transfer to a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
Grinding spices in pestle and mortar.
  1. Step 2: Grind the spices as fine as you can, or use an electric coffee blender.
Garlic and pepper puree in a black bowl.
  1. Step 3: Blend the garlic, chili, and peppers together until smooth.
Cooked peppers in a pan.
  1. Step 4: Cook this mix in a pan until a paste has formed, all the moisture is gone and the raw garlic and pepper smell has disappeared.
Adjika paste in pestle and mortar.
  1. Step 5: Stir in the spices and walnuts, then season with salt and a splash of vinegar, mixing thoroughly to combine.

How to use adjika

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

Add some to the cure mix for this home-cured salmon gravlax or brush this pan-seared salmon fillet with adjika to give it a spicy kick.

Toss with some steamed or roasted broccoli or crispy roast potatoes.

Storage instructions

Store in the fridge, sealed airtight, for up to 4 weeks, or freeze for longer storage.

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Useful equipment for this recipe

mortar and pestle

Mortar & Pestle

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Cast iron skillet.

Cast Iron Skillet

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wooden spoon

Wooden Spoon

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kilner jars

Small Kilner jars

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Recipe

adjika paste on a spoon
5 from 22 votes
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Adjika Paste

Adjika is the perfect spice paste to use with grilled meats, fish, or vegetables. It's extensively used in Georgian and Abkhazia cuisine.
Author Charlé Visser
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 8 portion
Course Condiments
Cuisine Abkhazian, Georgian, Russian
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the purée:

  • 1 ½ (1 ½) red bell peppers
  • 8 cloves (8 cloves) garlic
  • 2 (2) red chilies

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
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

For the puree:

  • Puree the garlic, chili, and red peppers using a hand-held blender or mincer.
  • Once our ingredients are puréed, 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: 102kcal Carbohydrates: 6g Protein: 3g Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 880mg Potassium: 176mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 892IU Vitamin C: 46mg Calcium: 36mg Iron: 1mg
Keywords:adjika, spice paste, traditional
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Comments

    5 from 22 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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  1. Nate says

    November 05, 2024 at 2:57 am

    5 stars
    Ive made this Adjika three times now. I cant believe the flavour, or the smoke from roasting the spices. I've been putting it on toast and as a side sauce for meats. Tonight I followed your recipe with bacon wrapped tenderloin with adjika in between. Unreal. Your recipes work!

    Reply
  2. Russ says

    September 01, 2021 at 3:42 am

    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
  3. Colin says

    April 09, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    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 says

      April 09, 2021 at 3:22 pm

      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. Iana says

    June 14, 2020 at 1:31 am

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

    Reply
    • Charlé says

      June 15, 2020 at 7:01 am

      Glad you liked it Iana!

      Reply
    • Han says

      April 22, 2021 at 2:10 pm

      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 says

        April 22, 2021 at 4:58 pm

        Sure can do! Enjoy!

        Reply
  5. James Van Niekerk says

    March 06, 2020 at 7:33 pm

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

    Reply
    • Charlé says

      March 07, 2020 at 8:57 pm

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

      Reply
Charle Visser the chef.

Hey, I'm Charlé!

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