Churchkhela is one of the most popular Georgian delicacies. In fact, these are nuts in grape juice, strung on a string. Churchkhela is also quite easy to prepare at home. We share 15 best recipes!
1. Churchkhela with walnuts
Basic recipe without sugar, honey and other additives.
You will need: 500 ml grape juice, 250 g peeled walnuts, 3.5 tbsp. flour.
Cooking: Heat grape juice, add flour and stir until smooth. Boil the juice until it thickens and let it cool down a bit. Collect the nuts on a string with a needle and dip in the juice.
You can dip the blanks several times, with an interval of 20-30 minutes. But the more layers, the longer the churchkhela will dry. Leave the churchkhela to dry at room temperature for about 3 days.
2. Churchkhela with hazelnuts
By the same principle, you can take other nuts or prepare a nut platter.
You will need: 200 g hazelnuts, 1 l grape juice, 100 g flour, 1 tbsp. Sahara.
Cooking: Bring grape juice to a boil and cook until reduced by half. Let it cool down a bit, add flour and sugar, mix until smooth and boil again. Boil for 10-12 minutes until thickened.
Dry the hazelnuts in a pan, collect on a long thread and dip in thick syrup. Leave for 1 hour, dip again in the juice, and send the churchkhela to dry for a couple of days in warmth.
3. Churchkhela with pomegranate juice
Such a churchkhela always turns out to be a rich bright red color.
You will need: 200 g peeled nuts, 1 l pomegranate juice, 100 g flour, 1 tbsp. Sahara.
Cooking: Mix pomegranate juice with sugar, heat, add flour and mix until smooth. Cook over low heat until the mass is reduced by almost half and thickens. Fry the kernels of nuts in a dry frying pan and collect on a thread. Dip each piece in the juice, let it drain a little and hang to dry for a couple of days at room temperature.
4. Churchkhela with sugar
Another classic variation of churchkhela, but now for the sweet tooth.
You will need: 500 ml grape juice, 250 g peeled walnuts, 6 tbsp. sugar, 3-3.5 tbsp. flour.
Cooking: Whisk grape juice with flour and sugar until smooth. Put it on low heat, boil for a long time until it thickens and then let it cool for 10-15 minutes. String the kernels of nuts on a dense thread, dip the blanks well in grape jelly, and let them drain silently. Leave the churchkhela to dry in a warm, ventilated area for 3-4 days.
5. Churchkhela with almonds in the oven
In order not to wait many days, you can simply dry the churchkhela in the oven.
You will need: 200 g almonds, 1 l grape juice, 100 g flour, 1 tbsp. Sahara.
Cooking: Boil grape juice with sugar, reduce by half and add flour. Stir, bring to a boil again and boil for 10-15 minutes over low heat. Collect peeled almonds on a string and dip in syrup. Leave for half an hour and then dip again. Let the churchkhela drain for 1-2 hours and dry it in the oven for 5-7 hours at a temperature of 50 degrees.
6. Churchkhela with prunes
Sweet and original even without sugar!
You will need: 500 ml grape juice, 150 g peeled walnuts, 100 g prunes, 3.5 tbsp. flour.
Cooking: Whisk the grape juice with flour until smooth and boil it over low heat until it thickens. Thread the roasted walnut kernels and prunes on a string.
Dip the blanks in the juice, let them drain for 40 minutes, and repeat this step a couple more times. Let the churchkhela hang to dry for about 4 days.
7. Churchkhela with rice flour
A gluten-free recipe that is also very low in calories.
You will need: 1 liter of grape juice, 250 g of peeled walnuts, 100 g of rice flour.
Cooking: Boil the grape juice, reduce it by half and let it cool down a bit. Mix the juice with the sifted rice flour until smooth, boil again and boil for 10 minutes. Gather kernels or pieces of nuts on a string. Dip each such thread in the juice, let it drain and leave to dry in limbo for a couple of days.
8. Churchkhela with cornmeal
With the addition of corn flour, churchkhela acquires an unusual aftertaste.
You will need: 700 g peeled nuts, 750 g wheat flour, 250 g corn flour, 3 liters of grape juice.
Cooking: Roast the nuts in a dry frying pan and collect them on threads with a needle. Boil the grape juice for 10 minutes after boiling, pour a third and cool. Boil the rest 10 minutes. In this third, add both sifted flours, and mix until smooth.
Pour the juice with flour to the remaining juice in the pan, stirring, and cook everything together for another 25 minutes. Dip the nuts in a thick mass and leave to dry on the bar in the room for a period of 4-5 days.
9. Churchkhela with cherry juice
It not only acquires bright cherry notes in taste, but also turns out to be an appetizing red hue.
You will need: 250 g peeled walnuts, 500 ml cherry juice, 2 tbsp. sugar, 2.5 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. starch.
Cooking: Gather roasted nut kernels on a string. Whisk cherry juice, sugar, flour and starch together until smooth. Cook the mass for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly. Let the jelly cool down a little, dip the nuts in it and hang them out to dry in a warm place for 3-4 days.
10. Churchkhela with starch
To make the base for churchkhela thick enough, we suggest mixing flour with starch.
You will need: 250 g peeled nuts, 500 ml grape juice, 2 tbsp. sugar, 2.5 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. starch.
Cooking: Roast the nuts in a dry frying pan and collect them on a thread with a thin needle. Heat the grape juice, add starch, flour and sugar, and mix until smooth. Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring. Dip the nuts in thick jelly and hang in the room. Churchkhela dries for about 4 days.
11. Churchkhela with spices
Armenian recipe for churchkhela based on pomegranate juice with spicy spices.
You will need: 2 liters of pomegranate juice, 250 peeled walnuts, 100 g peeled peanuts, 50 g flour, 60 g starch, 3 cloves, 5 g cardamom, 1 pinch of vanilla.
Cooking: Roast the nuts in a dry frying pan and gather them into long strings. Boil the pomegranate juice and boil over low heat for 30-40 minutes, removing the foam. Add all the spices and cook for another 10 minutes, then strain and cool.
Dilute starch and flour in a small amount of juice and mix with the rest. Beat everything until there are no lumps and boil again until thickened. Dip the threads with nuts in jelly and hang. When the shell has set, dip again and repeat this step a third time. Leave the churchkhela to dry for 5-6 days, hanging in a warm place.
12. Churchkhela with honey and pumpkin seeds
A very interesting mix of fillings from different nuts, seeds and dried fruits.
You will need: 3 liters of grape juice, 150 g of peeled walnuts, 100 g of peeled almonds, 50 g of prunes, 50 g of peeled pumpkin seeds, 180 g of cornmeal, 50 g of honey, 1 pinch of cinnamon.
Cooking: Dry the washed prunes in the oven, roast the nuts and seeds in a frying pan, and collect everything on a string. Boil grape juice, boil for 1.5-2 hours over low heat, add honey and cinnamon, and cool. Dilute the flour in the juice and mix everything until smooth. Boil again until thickened.
Dip the churchkhela in jelly for a couple of seconds, hang it up and leave to dry. Repeat the procedure a couple of times, and leave the churchkhela to dry completely in a warm, dry room for about 1 week, depending on the thickness of the shell.
13. Churchkhela with honey and raisins
Choose large pitted raisins so that you can string them on a string.
You will need: 3 liters of grape juice, 200 g of peeled walnuts, 175 g of flour, 100 g of peeled almonds, 100 g of raisins, 45 g of honey.
Cooking: Put the roasted nuts and raisins on the strings in random order. Boil the grape juice and cook for about 1 hour until it is reduced. Add honey, stir and refrigerate. Pour off a third of the juice, dilute the flour in it until smooth, and return it to the pan.
Boil again until thickened. Dip the threads in jelly and leave to dry in a warm place for a couple of days. If the shell is very thin, blend the churchkhela several times, but first let each new layer dry a little.
14. Churchkhela with lingonberry puree
An original recipe for lovers of culinary experiments.
You will need: 500 g grated lingonberries, 500 g peeled almonds, 70 g rice flour, 1 pinch of sugar substitute.
Cooking: Mix lingonberry puree, sweetener and flour, and boil a little until a smoother thick consistency. Dry the almonds in a pan, collect on strings and dip in mashed potatoes. Leave the churchkhela hanging to dry for 3-4 days.
15. Churchkhela with honey without sugar
If you like sweet things but avoid regular sugar, then this option is for you!
You will need: 3 liters of grape juice, 200 g of peeled walnuts, 100 g of peeled almonds, 100 g of dried apricots, 175 g of flour, 45 g of honey.
Cooking: Boil the grape juice and reduce it by about half. Mix with honey and flour until smooth, and cook further until the consistency of thick jelly. Collect all nuts and dried apricots on a thread.
Dip the threads in jelly, let dry for 40 minutes, and dip again. And so a couple more times until the desired thickness of the shell glasses. Leave the churchkhela to dry for about 1 week, hanging in a warm, dry place.