Khmeli Suneli – Georgian Spice Blend (What It Is + Homemade Recipe)

👉 If you have ever wondered why Georgian stews, soups and walnut sauces taste so warm and fragrant, the answer is usually khmeli suneli (ხმელი სუნელი) – Georgia’s famous dried herb and spice blend. Its name simply means “dry spices”, and you will find it in market stalls all over Tbilisi, sold from big colourful heaps next to adjika and svanuri marili. Here is what khmeli suneli is, what goes into it, how to make it at home and which dishes need it.

🌿 What Is Khmeli Suneli?

Khmeli suneli is a mix of ground dried herbs and seeds with an earthy, slightly sweet and nutty aroma. It is not hot – heat in Georgian food comes from chili and adjika. The two flavours that make it unmistakably Georgian are blue fenugreek (utskho suneli) and dried marigold petals (imeretian saffron), which give a gentle golden colour.

🧂 What Is in Khmeli Suneli?

Every family and every market seller has their own mix, but a classic blend contains:

• Blue fenugreek (utskho suneli) – the heart of the blend, mild and nutty
• Ground coriander seeds
• Dried marigold petals (Imeretian saffron)
• Dried summer savory
• Dried dill and dried parsley
• Dried basil and dried mint
• Bay leaf, ground
• Sometimes a little black pepper, celery seed or fenugreek seed

🥣 How to Make Khmeli Suneli at Home

For about 8 tablespoons:

• 2 tablespoons blue fenugreek (or 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds, lightly toasted and ground)
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried marigold petals (or ½ teaspoon ground turmeric for colour)
• 1 tablespoon dried summer savory (or thyme)
• 1 teaspoon each dried dill, parsley, basil and mint
• 2 bay leaves, finely ground
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Grind everything together in a spice grinder or mortar until fine, then store in a closed jar away from light. It keeps its aroma for about 6 months.

🔄 Khmeli Suneli Substitute

If you can’t find it, mix equal parts ground coriander and fenugreek with a pinch of dried savory or thyme, dried dill and a little turmeric. It won’t be identical, but it gives the same warm, herby character.

🍲 Georgian Dishes That Use Khmeli Suneli

• Kharcho – beef soup with walnuts, rice and tkemali
• Chakhokhbili – chicken stewed in tomatoes and herbs
• Satsivi – chicken in walnut sauce
• Lobio – red bean stew in a clay pot
• Ojakhuri – pork with fried potatoes
• Chashushuli – spicy beef and tomato stew
• Chanakhi – lamb and vegetables baked in clay pots
• Kupati – homemade Georgian sausages
• Badrijani nigvzit – eggplant rolls with walnut paste
• Pkhali – vegetable and walnut balls
• Ajika – spicy red pepper paste

🧄 Other Georgian Spices Worth Knowing

• Utskho suneli – blue fenugreek on its own, used in walnut sauces.
• Svanuri marili (Svan salt) – salt ground with garlic, chili, coriander and fenugreek from the mountains of Svaneti; delicious on tomatoes, potatoes and kubdari.
• Adjika – hot red or green chili paste with garlic and herbs.
• Imeretian saffron – dried marigold, used for colour in satsivi and bazhe.

❓ FAQ

What does khmeli suneli taste like?
It is warm, earthy and herby with a gentle nutty sweetness from blue fenugreek. It is aromatic rather than spicy.

Is khmeli suneli the same as curry powder?
No. Both contain coriander and fenugreek, but khmeli suneli is built on dried herbs and marigold, with no cumin, chili or turmeric-heavy flavour.

How much khmeli suneli should I use?
About 1–2 teaspoons for a stew or soup for 4 people. In soups and stews on the stove, add it in the last 15–20 minutes so the herbs keep their aroma; in slow-baked dishes like chanakhi, mix it in from the start.

👉 Explore more: our guide to traditional Georgian food, the Georgian supra feast, Georgian bread and spices around the world.