Tklapi

Ingredients

Fruit

• 3 kgsour plums, tkemali, for the sour sheets
• or apricots, or grapes, for the sweet ones

Also

• 200 mlwater
• sugar, only for the sweet versions, and sparingly

Equipment

• a wide pot
• a sieve or food mill
• flat boards or trays
• muslin
• a sunny place with moving air

To serve

• torn off in strips as a snack
• or reconstituted into kharcho and other sauces

Directions

1. Use very sour plums for the cooking sheets, and ripe apricots or grapes for the sweet ones. Wash the fruit and put it in a pot with a little water. Simmer it, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until it collapses completely.
2. Press the pulp through firmly, leaving skins and stones behind. Return the sieved purée to the pot. Now cook it down until it thickens noticeably. Simmer it, stirring often, until a spoon drawn through leaves a channel that holds for a moment. Reduce it properly. A thin purée takes days longer to dry and is far more likely to spoil before it does.
3. Stir it regularly with a heavy spoon, since fruit purée catches and scorches easily. Let the purée cool slightly before spreading. Line flat boards or trays with muslin, or use a clean smooth board rubbed with a little oil. Spread the purée in a thin, even layer, no more than 3 to 5 mm thick. Thin and even is the whole thing.
4. Set the boards where air can circulate underneath as well as over, propping them up if necessary. Cover it with muslin to keep insects and dust off, without letting the cloth touch the surface. Bring the trays indoors overnight.
5. Bring it in at night and cover it. It takes three to five days in good weather, depending on thickness and humidity. Peel it off the cloth once the top is dry and turn it over to dry the underside. Turning it is what dries the base, which otherwise stays tacky and eventually spoils.
6. Press it all over with a fingertip. Any spot that feels cool, soft or sticky needs more time, and this is the one judgement that matters.
7. Check them after a few weeks, and if any softness has developed, dry them again. For cooking, tear off a piece, soak it in hot water or stock for 15 minutes, and mash it into a paste. Taste as you add it, since sheets vary enormously in strength.

Technique

• Sour plum tklapi is a cooking ingredient as much as a snack.
• Grape sheets are related to the process behind churchkhela.
• It keeps about a year if properly dried.

Substitutions

• Any very sour plum, or underripe plums of any kind.
• A dehydrator in place of sun drying.

Variations

• Made with apricots, as a sweet.
• Made with grapes.
• Made with a mix of fruit.

History

Made from plums, apricots or grapes; the sour plum sheets are also reconstituted into cooking sauces in winter.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tklapi?

Tklapi is a snack from Georgia: sheet of sun-dried fruit puree, sour and leathery, torn off in strips. Made from plums, apricots or grapes; the sour plum sheets are also reconstituted into cooking sauces in winter.

How long does Tklapi take to make?

Tklapi takes 40 min plus 3 to 5 days drying of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 6 sheets. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Tklapi?

Yes, within limits. Any very sour plum, or underripe plums of any kind. A dehydrator in place of sun drying.

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

Stir it regularly with a heavy spoon, since fruit purée catches and scorches easily. Let the purée cool slightly before spreading. Line flat boards or trays with muslin, or use a clean smooth board rubbed with a little oil. Spread the purée in a thin, even layer, no more than 3 to 5 mm thick. Thin and even is the whole thing.