Georgian Mchadi
A rustic cornmeal bread with a crisp skillet crust and tender center, especially at home beside Georgian bean dishes such as lobio.
Mchadi is deliberately simple. Its role is not to compete with strongly seasoned food but to provide a warm, sturdy bread for scooping and balancing dishes at the table. Cornmeal grind and absorption vary, so texture matters more than a perfectly fixed amount of water.
Preparation notes
Add water gradually
Cornmeal absorbs differently by brand. Stop when a squeezed handful holds together without becoming wet or pasty.
Use damp hands
The dough is naturally crumbly. Damp palms make shaping much easier.
Cook through the center
Medium heat gives the crust time to brown without leaving raw, gritty cornmeal inside.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 2 cups fine or medium stone-ground cornmeal
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups hot water
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for the skillet
Method
- 1. Stir cornmeal and salt together in a bowl.
- 2. Add 1 1/4 cups hot water and the oil. Mix with a spoon, then your hands once cool enough to handle.
- 3. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture can be pressed into a patty without cracking apart. Checkpoint: it should feel moist and moldable but not sticky like wheat dough.
- 4. Divide into 8 portions and shape with damp hands into thick ovals or rounds about 1/2 inch thick.
- 5. Heat a thin film of oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add mchadi without crowding.
- 6. Cook 4–6 minutes per side. Checkpoint: both sides should be deep golden and the center should feel firm rather than soft and pasty.
- 7. Rest 5 minutes and serve warm.