Shechamandi (Shechamandi)
Overview
Shechamandi is a family of Georgian soups built around one main ingredient, and the best known is made with cornelian cherries, the tart red fruit of the cornel tree. The fruit is cooked in water until soft, pressed through a sieve to remove the stones and returned to the pot. Onion fried in a little butter and a paste of flour are stirred in to thicken it lightly, and it is seasoned with garlic, a little sugar, salt and pepper. Mint and coriander are added at the end. The soup is smooth, bright ruby-red and sharply sour, and other versions use wild sorrel with walnuts, nettles or beans.
History
The writer Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani explained the word shechamandi as a fasting soup, and these meatless soups were eaten during the long church fasts. They are most closely linked with Shida Kartli, around the towns of Gori, Kaspi, Kareli and Khashuri, where families dry cornel berries and sorrel leaves on their balconies in autumn so they can make the soup all winter. Cold versions are made in summer.
Main ingredients
Cornelian cherries, onion, garlic, flour, mint, coriander. The soup is built on water and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Mint soups · More soups from Georgia
Recipe
Method
- 120 min
Cook the cornelian cherries in the water for 20 minutes until soft.
- 2
Press them through a sieve, discard the stones and return the purée to the liquid.
- 3
Fry the onion in the butter, stir in the flour and whisk it into the soup.
- 410 min
Add the garlic, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the mint and coriander and serve warm or cold.
- ✓
Serve. About 55 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
