Georgian beef soup with walnuts and rice (Kharcho)

1. Cut the beef brisket into 3 cm pieces, put in a large pot, cover with 2.5 litres of cold water, bring to the boil, carefully skim off the foam and simmer gently for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender.

2. Meanwhile finely chop the onions and soften in a little oil; grate the tomatoes (the skin stays in your hand), add to the onions and cook down for 5 minutes.

3. Pound the walnuts with the garlic, chilli, khmeli suneli and a pinch of salt to a paste in a mortar or small food processor; soak the tkemali plums in a little hot water for 10 minutes, then stone and mash them.

4. Add the rinsed rice to the soup and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the tomato-onion mixture and the plum paste and cook for another 5 minutes.

5. Finally, stir the spiced walnut paste with a ladle of hot soup, pour it back into the pot, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes so the soup thickens to a velvety texture; off the heat, stir in half the chopped coriander.

6. Ladle into deep bowls, sprinkle with the rest of the coriander and serve piping hot with fresh bread – the soup is sour, spicy and nutty all at once.

Tip: If you can't find tkemali plums, 4-5 sour (unripe) plums and the juice of half a lemon bring back the typical tang. Kharcho is even better the next day.