No-Cook Abkhazian Adjika Without Horseradish

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   To make "No-Cook Abkhazian Adjika Without Horseradish," you'll need fresh hot peppers (there are many kinds; I used the one that's almost always available in our supermarket, so you can make Abkhazian adjika year-round), garlic, a khmeli-suneli spice blend, and coarse salt.

2. Step 2:

   

   Remove the seeds from the peppers, cut them up roughly, and cover them with warm water for 4 hours. This is the main wait that counts toward the prep time; the rest is pretty simple — that is, as long as you're not making a whole bucket of adjika! Then again, it's so hot that a bucket could last a lifetime :)

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel a head of garlic, breaking it into cloves — young garlic is easier to peel. If yours is old, from last year, cover it with water and let it sit a while: the skins will soak and come off easily. When the peppers are done soaking, put them in a sieve and let all the water drain off completely, then blot them with a paper towel. Don't forget to do the whole thing in gloves and try not to get it in your eyes — the pepper burns intensely.

4. Step 4:

   

   Now grind the garlic and peppers any way you like — in a food processor or a meat grinder. I tossed them into the food processor, then blended the mass further with an immersion blender. It comes out fairly thick and viscous.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the khmeli-suneli and mix. Now add salt to taste — there are no exact proportions anywhere, since everyone adds it depending on the purpose: for long-term storage, use more salt; for eating right away, just salt to taste.

6. Step 6:

   

   Work the salt into the mass and spoon it into dry jars, preferably small ones so they're handy to use — finish one, open the next. And that's it: fragrant, fiery no-cook Abkhazian adjika without horseradish is ready!