Tkemali

Rinse 800 g of sour plums or wild plums, place them in a saucepan and pour in 400 ml of water so the fruit is almost covered. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until the plums are soft.

Remove the plums with a slotted spoon and set the cooking liquid aside. Push the fruit through a sieve to remove the pits and skins, then return the puree to the saucepan.

Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic, 30 g fresh cilantro and 15 g fresh pennyroyal mint (ombalo). Add them to the plum puree.

Add 1 hot red pepper with the stem removed, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground coriander. If needed, stir in 100 ml of the reserved plum cooking liquid so the sauce is thick but pourable.

Simmer the sauce over low heat for 5–10 minutes, stirring constantly, so the garlic and herbs release their aroma and the texture becomes smooth.

Taste and, if needed, add more salt to taste or 1 tsp sugar to taste if the plums are too sour. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Serve the tkemali cold or just warm with grilled meat, boiled meat, potatoes or roasted poultry; transfer any leftovers to a clean, dry jar and store in the refrigerator.