Pork Kharcho with Rice and Walnuts
A hearty Georgian soup with tender pork, rice, walnuts, and tangy tkemali. Rich, spiced, and deeply flavorful—thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Time
- 1 h 15 min
- Serving
- 757 kcal
- Ingredients
- ≈ $1.80
- Protein
- 30 g
Ingredients
- 1 Pork shoulderpack 800 g ≈ $4.50 140 g
- 2 Long-grain ricepack 800 g ≈ $1.94 35 g
- 3 Walnutspack 150 g ≈ $4.00 20 g
- 4 Tkemali plum sauce 25 g
- 5 Onions≈ $1.60 per kg 60 g
- 6 Garlic≈ $10.00 per kg 6 g
- 7 Khmeli-suneli 2 g
- 8 Cilantropack 50 g ≈ $1.20 10 g
- 9 Sunflower oil 10 ml
- 10 Salt 2 g
- 11 Ground black pepper 1 g
Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.
Method
Cut the pork1 into 1-inch cubes, cover with 450 ml water, and bring to a boil.
Skim off foam, season with salt, and simmer on low heat for 35–40 minutes until the meat is nearly tender.
Finely chop the onion5 and sauté in oil for 5 minutes until translucent.
Add the rinsed rice, onion5, tkemali, khmeli-suneli spice blend, and black pepper to the pot. Simmer for 18–20 minutes.
Crush the walnuts3 with garlic6 into a paste, stir in a ladle of broth, and fold into the soup.
Simmer for 5 more minutes, stir in chopped fresh dill, and remove from heat—the rice should be tender and the soup thick.
Tips
- Why it works
- Boil the pork until half-tender so it doesn't fall apart when cooked further with the rice and make the soup thin. Test by tasting: the meat should be slightly firm but easy to pierce with a knife.
- Substitutions
- Instead of tkemali, use 30 g of tomato paste, but add 5 g of sugar to soften the acidity. Replace the walnuts with 20 g of pine nuts, but grind them longer, as they are harder.
- Common mistakes
- If the rice stays raw, you used too little water or not enough time. The soup will be crumbly rather than creamy.
- Storing and reheating
- Keep for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Don't freeze, the nuts and rice will fall apart.
- Serve with
- Serve with a slice of black bread and pickled cucumbers. The bread soaks up the thick sauce, and the cucumbers freshen the tart flavor.
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