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Main Dish

Gomi with Tkemali

A bowl of creamy Georgian cornmeal mush (gomi) topped with a swirl of ruby-red tkemali plum sauce and a sprig of fresh cilantro on a rustic wooden table.
Prep
10 mins
Cook
40 mins
Servings
4
GeorgianEasyLunchDinnerVegetarianGluten Free

About this dish

Creamy, comforting Georgian cornmeal mush (gomi) served with the tart, plum-based sauce tkemali. This dish is beloved in western Georgia, where it's often eaten with cheese or meat – but the gomi itself, with its buttery corn flavor and soft, porridge-like texture, steals the show.

Trust me, you'll want to make extra.

Ingredients

UK and US measurements are both included for every recipe.

Fine cornmeal

grain

200 g

Imperial measurement: 1 1/2 cups

Water

liquid

1 L

Imperial measurement: 4 cups

Unsalted butter, plus more

fat

60 g (plus extra)

Imperial measurement: 4 Tbsp (plus extra)

Salt

seasoning

1/2 tsp

Tkemali sauce

other

120 ml

Imperial measurement: 1/2 cup

Fresh cilantro, chopped

herb

small handful

Imperial measurement: 2 tbsp chopped

Method

1

Boil the water

8 mins

In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a rolling boil over high heat.

2

Add the cornmeal

5 mins

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Slowly pour in the fine cornmeal while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until it begins to thicken, about 2–3 minutes.

3

Cook the mush

30 mins

Switch to a wooden spoon. Cook the cornmeal over low heat, stirring gently but constantly, for about 25–30 minutes. The mixture should become very thick and smooth, pulling away from the sides of the pot. It needs a patient stir but oh, it's worth it.

4

Finish with butter

3 mins

Once the gomi is soft and no longer grainy, remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter until fully melted. Taste for salt, and add more if needed.

5

Serve with tkemali

5 mins

Spoon the hot gomi onto plates directly from the pot – it's too sticky for a mold. Make a small well in the top of each portion and place a spoonful of tkemali sauce into it. Add an extra pat of butter in the center, and sprinkle fresh cilantro if you like.

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed pot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Nutrition facts

360 kcal
Calories
4 g
Protein
45 g
Carbohydrates
10 g
Fat
2 g
Fiber
310 mg
Sodium

Tips

  • Must stir, my dear!
  • If.
  • If you don't stir the gomi constantly, it will burn on the bottom.
  • Let.
  • Let that wooden spoon be your friend.
  • Feel free to use gornaya gruzinskaya or any fine yellow cornmeal – just avoid coarse polenta or the texture won't be as creamy.
  • Want to jazz it up?
  • Serve.
  • Serve gomi with sautéed mushrooms or a sharp Georgian cheese like sulguni. Bet it'll disappear in minutes.
  • If you have leftover gomi, let it cool, slice it, fry it in a little butter for a tasty treat – like a Georgia take on polenta fries.

Serving suggestions

  • Serve gomi hot as a bed for a rich stew, chicken in garlic-herb sauce, or simply with sautéed mushrooms.
  • For.
  • For a lovely casual spread that's very Georgian, pair it with a fresh cucumber-tomato salad and a glass of qvevri amber wine.

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Nino Beridze

Recipe by

Nino Beridze

Specialises in Georgian cuisine

Nino makes khachapuri that oozes cheese like a volcano. She says the secret is loving the dough like a child.

Describe yourself in three words: Loving, loud, huggy.