AI-generated image
Mchadi
Georgian pan-fried cornbread cakes from Samegrelo and Guria
Mchadi are the everyday cornbread of western Georgia, from Samegrelo and Guria down to the Black Sea coast, where maize has been grown since the 1700s. They are nothing more than cornmeal, water and salt, shaped by hand into thick ovals and fried or baked on a clay disc until crusty outside and soft and steaming inside. Families eat them hot with a wedge of cheese, a bowl of lobio, pickled vegetables or a spoon of adjika, and they are naturally gluten-free and vegan. The common mistake is using a dough that is too dry, so the cakes crack and crumble in the pan: it should feel like soft, wet clay. Chef's tip: wet your hands in a bowl of water between every cake; the cornmeal will not stick and the surface comes out smooth and crisp.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz fine cornmeal and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in most of 1 cup warm water and mix with your hand, adding the rest little by little, until you have a soft, damp dough that holds together when squeezed. Leave for 5 minutes for the cornmeal to drink up the water.
5 minStep 2: With wet hands, shape the dough into 8 thick ovals about 1.5 cm thick and the size of your palm, smoothing the edges so they do not crack.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Lay in the cakes and fry for 6–7 minutes, until the underside is golden with a crisp crust that releases easily from the pan.
7 minStep 4: Turn them, lower the heat slightly, cover the pan and cook for another 6–7 minutes, until the second side is golden and the cakes feel firm when pressed in the middle.
7 minStep 5: Serve hot, split open, with cheese, lobio or pkhali.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 57 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mchadi take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Paneer pudas
Pudas are thin savoury pancakes. These low-calorie ones are made from rice, maize and wheat flour mixed with crumbled paneer, spinach, fenugreek and coriander and a fresh paste of onion, chilli, mint, garlic and ginger. The moisture in the vegetables and paneer is enough to bind the dough, so no ghee, oil, yogurt or water goes into it. Cook on a griddle with just a little oil and serve with tea, or with plain yogurt and pickle.
Stuffed green paratha
Bright green parathas: the dough is kneaded with puréed spinach and lemon, then filled with a gently spiced stuffing of crushed peas, grated cauliflower and crumbled paneer and cooked on a hot griddle. Soft inside with crisp spots outside. Serve hot with yogurt and chutneys.
Brown soup rolls
Small, soft bread rolls made with half plain and half wholemeal flour, shaped long and baked until golden. They're best warm from the oven with a bowl of soup, and freeze well once cooled.