GEORGIAN CLASSICS IN THE UKRAINIAN STYLE: HOW TO PREPARE CHANAKHI.
Georgia is a country worth visiting for its food alone, for each Georgian dish is an edible journey into the culture and history of an ancient people. The rich diversity of Georgian national cuisine can be attributed to centuries of isolation of its mountain peoples, who over time developed wholly unique culinary traditions. By appreciating each nuanced flavor or participating in a boisterous Georgian feast, visitors can experience the essence of Georgian culture and hospitality.
Georgian food and wine will surprise and delight with its blend of tastes, smells, shapes, and consistencies both new and unfamiliar. Foods such as khinkali, khachapuri, and churchkhela are so delicious that they are known among foodies the world over, yet a culinary tour of Georgia is not limited to tasting these most famous foods alone: regional and seasonal favorites are also counted among the best of Georgian dishes, for they reflect the nation’s rich (and tasty) heritage. Another plus of Georgian cuisine is that everyone, from vegans to vegetarians to avid meat lovers, is sure to find something suited to their preferences.
To whet your appetite, I present to you the top Georgian dish you have to try! A very tasty, satisfying, and beautiful dish - Georgian-style chanakhi.
It is preferable to take lamb, but it also turns out very tasty with beef. Stewed meat and vegetables wonderfully complement each other, and a variety of spices will make the dish unique.
Chanakhi is a Georgian dish made of lamb /beef/ and vegetables.
Chanakhi is a traditional Georgian dish that usually consists of stewed lamb or beef and vegetables. It is prepared not only in Georgia but also in other countries of the East, in the Caucasus, and even in Galicia. It is something between roast and soup, the consistency of chanahi is quite thick.
HOW TO COOK CHANAKHI CORRECTLY.
Lamb is usually used to prepare chanahi, but there are many variations of the dish - with pork, beef, and even chicken.
I decided to stick with the more traditional option and took the beef. I have the Angus chuck beef flesh, but you can take any other part if you wish. It is even better to choose meat with a bone, so the taste of the dish will be richer. But do not forget to remove the bone from the dish. The meat itself should be cut quite coarsely, and the chanahi will be juicier. And you need to make a kind of sauce from the vegetables, which you then pour over the meat. Eggplants, tomatoes, and garlic - these vegetables are traditional for Georgian cuisine. I also added onions and potatoes. But do not forget about spices - in the end, add a little suneli hops.
Beef or Lamb meat - 2 lb
Eggplant - 2 lb (6-7 pieces)
Tomatoes - 2 lb
Potatoes - 0.7-0.8 lb
Onion - 0.2 lb (4-5 heads)
Garlic - 1 head
Herbs: coriander, parsley, celery, basil, mint
dry coriander 1 tsp
Pepper
Sea salt
Swan salt
Fenugreek 1 tsp
Ajika 1 tsp
Let's take the products from the list. Choose spices to suit your taste: uckho-suneli, adjika, khmeli-suneli, basil, coriander, salt, hot pepper...
Cut the beef finely. In the same fat, fry the cut eggplant separately. Potatoes cut lengthwise into quarters and ripe tomatoes.
Mix finely chopped garlic, coriander, parsley, celery, basil, pepper, and split dried coriander seeds in the leftovers of the stew. Carefully insert the mentioned eggplant and tomatoes.
Fry the chopped lamb meat separately, and put it in the pot in layers, first eggplant, then meat, chopped onion, potatoes, tomatoes, meat, eggplant, potatoes, meat, and tomatoes on top. Pour the rest of the fat and cook for 15-20 minutes.
And of course, if we don't have salt-free food, we can sprinkle a little bit of salt on everything, depending on the taste and size of the eyes.
Chanakhi is preferably prepared in a clay pot, if we don't have the time, we should make it with a big heart and with good hands so that it tastes no less.