Chanakhi

I love Georgian cuisine. But not the state of Georgia, but the country in the Caucasus region, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

Georgian cuisine is featuring flavors from Greece and the Mediterranean, as well as influences from Turkey and Persia.

Georgian food is warm, comfort food. Herbs like tarragon, parsley, dill and coriander combine with walnuts and garlic for rich fillings and sauces.

There are a few of my favorite Georgian dishes that I cook quite often. Chanakhi is one of them.

Chanakhi (Georgian: ჩანახი) is a traditional Georgian dish of lamb stew with tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes, greens and garlic. All components of this dish complement each other perfectly, and the spices give it an unforgettable taste.

Chanakhi is prepared in individual clay pots and served usually with bread and cheese.

As my family members don't like lamb very much, I'm making this dish using beef.

So for 4 clay pots you will need:

Beef – 1 lb. (500 g)

Potatoes - 2-3 pcs.

Eggplant - 1

Bacon - a few strips, chopped

Onions - 1-2

Tomato juice - 1 cup (250 ml)

Chicken or beef stock - (250 ml)

Tomatoes - 1-2

Garlic – 3-4 cloves, minced

Greens: fresh cilantro, and flat-leaf parsley – 1 cup each

Spices: coriander, sweet paprika, basil, turmeric, mint, marjoram and cayenne pepper – 0.5 tsp. of each or to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

The preparation process is very simple.

Step 1

Cut beef, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and onions into bite-size chunks

Step 2

Add your chopped bacon to a medium sized skillet. Cook over medium high heat until it is crisp then put aside

Step 3

Sear the eggplant using the same skillet until golden brown

Step 4

Now all the ingredients need to be placed in the pots in the following order:

- Beef, tossed with a good amount of salt, black pepper and coriander

-bacon

- chopped onions

- chopped potatoes

- seared eggplant

- chopped tomatoes

- finely chopped cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, garlic and hot peppers

Step 5

Mix the tomato juice with the beef stock, add there coriander, sweet paprika, basil, turmeric, mint, marjoram and cayenne pepper, mix well and pour this mixture evenly to each clay pot. Do not stir.

Cover the pots with lids and move them to the preheated oven (350°F /180°С) for 1 hour.

Serve hot with crusty bread. Sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro over each serving at the table.

If you do not have clay pots, you can use a Dutch oven or deep enameled cast iron pot with a tight-fitting, oven-safe lid instead, but it can take more, than an hour to have the meat and the vegetables cooked. I guess that the cooking time in this case have to be 1.5 to 2 hours. Let me know if you use this method and if you liked the dish.