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Armenian Akhorzhak Tomato Sauce for Winter

A zesty tomato-based sauce—Armenian adjika! This tomato sauce is loaded with hot pepper, garlic, and plenty of fresh herbs—you could fairly call it an adjika. Its bold flavor brightens up the winter table and makes a great companion for meat dishes and sides.

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Akhorzhak in Armenian for winter
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Composition / ingredients

Servings:
Translation table of volumetric measures
Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe
By weight of the composition:
Proteins 14 % 2 g
Fats 36 % 5 g
Carbohydrates 50 % 7 g
78 kcal
GI: 83 / 0 / 17
  • Tomato sauce is a great way to use up tomatoes that aren't quite right for canning whole or that you can't get through fast enough. Wash the tomatoes well, cut away any damaged spots and the stem ends, cut them into pieces, and run them through a meat grinder. Pour the tomatoes into a pot, set it over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook down until thickened—about 45 minutes. Add the vegetable oil and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring now and then so the oil works through the tomato. Peel, wash, and grind the garlic through a meat grinder. You could use a garlic press, but mincing this much garlic that way would be a chore. Add the garlic to the tomato, season with the salt, fenugreek, vinegar, and sugar, and stir well so the dry ingredients dissolve. Trim the stems and remove the seeds from the hot peppers, rinse them under cold running water, cut them into pieces, and add them to the tomato. Stir everything well again and cook at a gentle boil for 5–10 minutes. While the tomato cooks, rinse the herbs under running water and shake them off—no need to dry them fully. It's best to use cilantro and parsley in equal parts. Chop the herbs finely and add them to the nearly finished sauce. Cook the akhorzhak for about 10 more minutes; the herbs need to cook through so the sauce keeps well all winter. It's best to use jars of 500 ml or even smaller, so you can open one for dinner without storing leftovers in the fridge. Wash the jars with detergent ahead of time and let them air-dry a bit—no need to sterilize. Pour the boiling sauce into the prepared jars and seal them with lids right away. Leave them on the counter, wrapped in a blanket, until completely cool. You don't have to turn the jars over—clean lids will extend the sauce's shelf life. Move the cooled jars to a pantry, cellar, or basement; they'll keep all winter. Enjoy!

Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish

  • Tomatoes - 23  kcal/100g
  • Garlic - 143  kcal/100g
  • Granulated sugar - 398  kcal/100g
  • Sugar - 398  kcal/100g
  • Vegetable oil - 873  kcal/100g
  • Hot capsicum - 40  kcal/100g
  • Salt - 0  kcal/100g
  • Fresh frozen soup greens in a package - 41  kcal/100g
  • Greenery - 41  kcal/100g
  • Fenugreek - 323  kcal/100g
  • Red wine vinegar - 19  kcal/100g

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