Ghomi

Ingredients

Porridge

• 200 gcoarse white cornmeal, or ghomi flour
• 100 gfine white cornmeal
• 1.5 litreswater

To serve

• 300 gsulguni cheese, sliced
• a stew such as chicken chakhokhbili or kharcho

Note

• no salt, and no butter, are added to the porridge itself

Directions

1. Rinse the coarse meal in cold water and drain it if it looks dusty. Now the cooking, which is long and needs attention at the end.
2. Bring the water to the boil in a heavy pot with a thick base. A thin pot will catch and burn, since this porridge is stirred against the bottom.
3. Stir constantly as you add it so no lumps form. Cook it for twenty-five minutes, stirring every few minutes. Sprinkle the fine cornmeal over the surface in a thin layer. Beat it in hard with a wooden spoon or a flat paddle.
4. Cook it for a further fifteen minutes, beating it every couple of minutes. Now judging when it is done, which is by texture rather than time.
5. Add a splash of hot water if it has gone stiffer than that. Now the salt question, which people always ask about.
6. Spoon a thick mound onto each plate with a wet spoon. Press a hollow in the top with the back of the spoon. Lay slices of sulguni on the hot porridge so they begin to soften and stretch.
7. Spoon the stew alongside rather than over the top. It must be eaten hot, since ghomi sets solid as it cools.

Technique

• No salt goes into ghomi, since the seasoning comes from the cheese and the stew.
• Use white cornmeal, not yellow, for the correct colour and flavour.
• Beat it against the bottom of a heavy pot, since a thin pot will scorch.

Substitutions

• Fine polenta plus coarse polenta, if ghomi flour is unavailable.
• Mozzarella in place of sulguni, though it is a poor substitute.

Variations

• Elarji, with sulguni beaten right into the porridge.
• Served with ajika and cheese only, as a plain meal.
• Sliced cold and fried in butter the next day.

History

The staple of western Georgia, originally made from millet before maize arrived; it carries stews and cheeses rather than being seasoned.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ghomi?

Ghomi is a salad & side from Georgia: thick unsalted cornmeal porridge eaten hot with cheese instead of bread. The staple of western Georgia, originally made from millet before maize arrived; it carries stews and cheeses rather than being seasoned.

How long does Ghomi take to make?

Ghomi takes 5 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Ghomi?

Yes, within limits. Fine polenta plus coarse polenta, if ghomi flour is unavailable. Mozzarella in place of sulguni, though it is a poor substitute.

What is the most important thing to get right in Ghomi?

Cook it for a further fifteen minutes, beating it every couple of minutes. Now judging when it is done, which is by texture rather than time.