Entree: Georgia – Samegrelo – გებჯალია ➤ Gebjalia (Pan-fried cheese patties from Samegrelo with a crisp exterior and melty, salty interior)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 7 min

Total 22 min

Ingredients

12 oz (340 g) Sulguni cheese, grated or crumbled; for a practical catalog estimate, use whole-milk mozzarella cheese as the clearly labelled alternative.
1 large egg, approx. 50 g (50 g)
1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
3 tbsp (45 ml) plain matsoni or plain yogurt
1/4 cup (15 g) fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) salt (reduce if using salty brined cheese)
1/4 tsp (0.5 g) ground black pepper
1/2 tsp (2 g) baking powder
Vegetable oil for shallow frying, about 1 cup (240 ml)
For the matsoni garlic sauce: 1/2 cup (120 g) matsoni, 1 clove garlic minced (approx. 3 g), pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Grate or crumble the Sulguni cheese into a mixing bowl. Add the egg (approx. 50 g), 1/2 cup (60 g) flour, matsoni, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and baking powder. Mix until a sticky but formable dough holds together; if too wet, add up to 1–2 tbsp (8–30 g) more flour.
2. Lightly flour your hands and shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 2.5 in (6 cm) across and 1/2 in (1.5 cm) thick. Dust each patty lightly with flour.
3. Heat about 1/4 in (6 mm) of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering (about 325–350°F / 160–175°C).
4. Fry the patties in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp and the cheese inside is softened. Adjust heat to prevent burning and add more oil between batches if needed.
5. While patties fry, stir together 1/2 cup (120 g) matsoni, minced garlic (approx. 3 g), and a pinch of salt for the dipping sauce.
6. Drain cooked patties on paper towels briefly, then serve hot with the matsoni garlic sauce and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.