Georgia
Lamb Tolma
Grape leaves rolled around herby spiced lamb, with a cool garlicky matsoni sauce
50 min hands-on · 70 min waiting·6 servings
utskho suneli (blue fenugreek)
Ground seeds and pods of blue fenugreek, a relative of common fenugreek, with a nutty, hay-like aroma.
Utskho suneli is the Georgian name for blue fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea), whose seeds and pods, often together with the dried leaves, are used finely ground. It smells of hay, nuts and a little maple, and is noticeably milder and less bitter than common fenugreek. That mildness matters, because Georgian cooks use it generously in walnut sauces, stews and spice blends such as khmeli suneli, where it provides the main warm note. In the Alps the same plant is known as bread clover and as the flavouring of Glarus Schabziger cheese, but it is rarely sold loose outside those regions. It can be found in Georgian, Russian or Eastern European grocery shops, from online spice retailers, and occasionally in spice shops under the name blue fenugreek.
Substitute:
Ground common fenugreek comes closest but is stronger and more bitter, so use only about a third to half the amount, and the dish will still taste sharper and less hay-like. Dried fenugreek leaves capture the herbal side better but not the nutty warmth of the seeds.
Used in · 2 recipes
Georgia
Veal Chakapuli
Georgian veal braised with tarragon, white wine and green tkemali
35 min hands-on · 85 min waiting·6 servings