Pelamushi is a traditional Georgian dessert that can be enjoyed in summer or winter.
It is exceptionally easy to make – if I can do it, you can too! And it requires only 3 ingredients.
The first ingredient is pressed grape juice—from white or red grapes (sweet grapes are best). Georgians typically use Odessa grapes. Press grapes to extract the juice and strain to ensure that the skins, seeds and stems are excluded. The second ingredient is plain wheat flour and the third ingredient is cornflour.
The first ingredient is pressed grape juice—from white or red grapes (sweet grapes are best). Georgians typically use Odessa grapes. Press grapes to extract the juice and strain to ensure that the skins, seeds and stems are excluded. The second ingredient is plain wheat flour and the third ingredient is cornflour.
Step 1: in a large pan, add 2 litres of pressed grape juice. Add 1 cup of wheat flour and one cup of cornflour, stirring until the flour is well blended.
Step 2: Over a low heat, stir and stir and stir, constantly—to ensure that there are no lumps (a wooden spoon is best). Stir for about 40-45 minutes until the liquid reduces and forms a thickened paste. Add sugar to your own taste. Generally, the sweeter the grapes, the less sugar you may need to add.
Step 3: Pour into bowls or moulds. Leave on the kitchen bench to cool. Place in fridge until ready to eat. If in moulds, tip upside down to place pelamushi on a plate or serving bowl. Serve traditionally with walnuts. I like pelamushi served with yoghurt or cream.
Note: If you press lots of grapes, the grape juice can be boiled, sweetened, cooled, and poured into sterilized glass containers to keep for weeks or months.
My first attempt at this recipe was rated as “good” by Georgian colleagues. There were a few small lumps that resulted in some negative points (its best to mix the flour with a small amount of cold water first before adding it to the warm mix; when blended over the heat it must be stirred continuously.) Some Georgians prefer the recipe with only wheat flour (i.e. 2 cups of wheat flour instead of half cornflour.)
Variation: My second attempt (picture below) was with green grapes (to extract the grape juice). Instead of a large single mould, I place the cooked liquid into an ice-cube tray to make small pieces. With green grapes, the outcome was a paler creamy colour, and it required a bit more sugar. I placed the small pieces of pelamushi on a black plate and garnished with green grapes and a few black grapes. This was great as "finger food" because people could use a toothpick or fork to pick up the pieces of pelamushi. Children loved it too, because it was in bite sized pieces.
Variation: My second attempt (picture below) was with green grapes (to extract the grape juice). Instead of a large single mould, I place the cooked liquid into an ice-cube tray to make small pieces. With green grapes, the outcome was a paler creamy colour, and it required a bit more sugar. I placed the small pieces of pelamushi on a black plate and garnished with green grapes and a few black grapes. This was great as "finger food" because people could use a toothpick or fork to pick up the pieces of pelamushi. Children loved it too, because it was in bite sized pieces.
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