Nadughi

Ingredients

Curd

• 5 litresfresh whey, saved from making sulguni or another rennet cheese
• 500 mlwhole milk

To finish

• 1small bunch mint, chopped fine
• ½ tspsalt
• 200 gsulguni, sliced thin, for wrapping

Directions

1. Use the whey the same day it comes off the cheese. Whey that has stood overnight has soured too far and gives hard grains instead of soft curd.
2. Heat the whey slowly in a wide pan to 88°C (190°F), stirring occasionally so it does not catch. Do not let it boil.
3. Stir in the milk. Whey alone gives very little; the added milk brings fresh protein that lifts with it and makes the yield worth the pan.
4. Hold at 88°C (190°F) without stirring for 10 to 15 minutes. Soft white flakes will rise and gather on the surface — stirring now breaks them up and they will not re-form.
5. Lift the curds off gently with a slotted spoon into a muslin-lined sieve and drain 20 to 30 minutes. Do not press.
6. Fold the chopped mint and salt through the warm curd lightly — nadughi is meant to stay loose and milky, not be beaten smooth.
7. Eat the same day. To serve it the Megrelian way, lay out thin slices of sulguni, spoon the minted curd along one edge and roll them into elensvi.
8. Serve cool, cut into rounds, with the mint still fresh and green — it darkens within a few hours, which is another reason nadughi is a same-day cheese.

Technique

• Same-day whey. This is the one thing that decides whether it works.
• Do not stir once the flakes form, and do not boil. Both give rubbery grains.
• It is a same-day cheese with nothing preserving it — sweet and milky on day one, sour by day two.

Substitutions

• Whey from any rennet-set cheese; the method is the same as ricotta.
• Tarragon or coriander in place of mint, both of which are used in Georgia.

Variations

• Eaten plain with bread and honey, without the sulguni wrapping.
• Some households fold in a little melted butter, which makes it richer.

History

A Megrelian by-product of sulguni making, eaten the same day while still sweet and milky.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nadughi?

Nadughi is a cheese & dairy from Georgia: soft fresh whey curd, often folded with mint and wrapped in sulguni. A Megrelian by-product of sulguni making, eaten the same day while still sweet and milky.

How long does Nadughi take to make?

Nadughi takes 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Nadughi?

Yes, within limits. Whey from any rennet-set cheese; the method is the same as ricotta. Tarragon or coriander in place of mint, both of which are used in Georgia.

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

Use the whey the same day it comes off the cheese. Whey that has stood overnight has soured too far and gives hard grains instead of soft curd.