Churchkhela
Description
Churchkhela is a wonderful Eastern sweet that is hard to find in our region. But there's a solution! Make churchkhela at home. The recipe is right in front of you.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
1. Prepare all the necessary ingredients, including thread and needle. The grape juice must be freshly squeezed.
- 2
Step 2
2. Add corn flour to the prepared grape juice. Cook the resulting mixture over low heat until it thickens. If the juice does not thicken for a long time, add a little more flour and a spoonful of food starch.
- 3
Step 3
3. Heat the nuts in a skillet over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, then let cool. Take a thick string and, using a needle, thread the nuts—hazelnuts or walnuts. The string should be about 20–25 cm long, with the first nut threaded 4–5 cm from the end of the string. Thread approximately 10 nuts onto each string. Prepare as many strings as the number of churhchelas you wish to make.
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Step 4
4. Dip the nuts on a string into the prepared mixture and hang them in a convenient place. Leave until the mixture dries.
- 5
Step 5
5. After a few hours, repeat the same procedure, continuing until the layer on top of the nuts reaches 2 cm. The drying process itself takes about one to two weeks, depending on the thickness of the juice layer applied. However, the candy should not lose its softness.
- 6
Step 6
After drying, the churchkhela can be eaten. Or you can wrap it in parchment paper and store it in a cool place for up to three months. During this time, it will mature and become indistinguishable from the kind sold at a genuine Eastern market.