Chanakhi - Tasty Traditional Georgian Lamb Stew

This spring me, my husband and our little son were planning a vacation. And we dreamed of visiting hospitable Georgia, which is famous for its incredibly excellent cuisine! But reality is corrected our plans (hello, corona), we, like everyone else, are sitting at home too. Therefore, we decided not to be sad and cooked the Georgian dish of Chanakhi.

This dish is popular in eastern Georgia, it resembles Russian roast. Traditionally, it is cooked in pots in the oven or in a cauldron. Chanakhi includes small pieces of lamb or beef stewed with seasonal vegetables. An authentic set of ingredients includes potatoes, onions, tomatoes and eggplants, but now the dish has acquired many interpretations.

People often add bell peppers, green beans or red beans to this dish. The traditional recipe does not involve pre-frying the ingredients, but those who wish can try this option. The process of making a Chanakhi is not complicated. The meat and vegetables are laid in portioned pots in layers, and then simmer at low temperature for one to two hours. The result is very juicy, aromatic and tasty dish.

P.S. We chose the traditional cooking option, but removed the onion, I can’t eat it. If you like onions, feel free to add this product, cut it in half rings and lay it on top on a layer of meat.

Ingredients:

lamb or beef 700 g

medium sized potatoes 7 pcs.

eggplant 4 pcs.

head tomatoes 4 pcs.

green beans 100 g

garlic 4-5 cloves

cilantro 1 bunch

paprika, salt, pepper to taste

We have 6 large pots (approximately 700 ml each), and this list of products is suitable for this volume. You can change the volume of ingredients, depending on the volume of your pots.

Cooking should begin with eggplants.

You need to wash it and to cut into large cubes. It is not necessary to remove the skin. In the process of baking, it softens well. To remove the bitterness from the pulp, eggplants well salt, mix and leave for 15-20 minutes. That is why the preparation of vegetables begins with them.

You need to choose the meat of a young animal with a small amount of fat. If the slices are lean, then you can add a little fat tail or butter. It is best to choose pieces of meat with bones and flesh - the scapular or hip part. They should be washed, then cleaned of membranes, tendons and cut into small portions weighing 30-40 g.

Wash the tomatoes, then on the skin you need to make a cross-shaped incision. After that, it must be scalded with boiling water and wait for a few minutes. Or put in the microwave for 30 seconds at a power of 650-700 watts. We tried both ways, both work, to whom it is more convenient (we liked the microwave more). After that, peel the skin, and cut the tomatoes in half rings.

Wash, peel the potatoes. And cut it in large cubes.

The picture shows a complete set of products prepared for laying in a pot.

After that, you can start laying in portioned pots. At the bottom you need to put fat or oil, if there is such a need, but we did not, because the meat is enough fat. Therefore, immediately put the meat.

The next layer is potatoes.

Rinse eggplants with cold water and squeeze slightly. Put in pots.

Add frozen green beans (if you want, you can use fresh beans).

The last layer is tomatoes.

Then add spices: salt, paprika, black pepper. To make the dish more juicy, you should pour a little water, filling the pots in half.

The second picture shows that the water just washes away the spices inside and distributes them evenly throughout the pot.

After that, tightly close the pots with lids (here I give you greetings on the first picture :)) and put in a cold oven. Then warm it up to 180 degrees. Chanakhi languish for 1.5 hours.

It is very convenient to put the pots on a baking sheet so that if the liquid spills, the oven will remain clean.

During this time, we wash and cut cilantro and garlic.

5 minutes before the end of cooking, take out the pots and add finely chopped cilantro and garlic and return back.

Here you have a wonderful simple, very satisfying and aromatic dish.

Serve in deep plates with pot broth and a slice of delicious fresh crisp bread. If desired, you can decorate with herbs.

Bon Appetit!

P.S. and I apologize for the mistakes in my English. Best wishes from Siberia)