Georgian cuisine has always attracted with its brightness and piquancy of taste. It is often compared with Georgian song, because it is also sincere, rich and “polyphonic” due to the content of delicious products and spices. We all heard the names of such dishes as lobio, khachapuri, tkemali and satsivi. But in this article we will talk about a step-by-step recipe for chakhokhbili from chicken. After all, every housewife wants to delight her loved ones with dishes of the cuisines of the peoples of the world. That is why today we will plunge into the world of Georgian cuisine and consider a step-by-step recipe for chakhokhbili.
What is chakhokhbili?
Chakhokhbili is an incredibly delicious dish, which is the hallmark of Georgian cuisine. When this dish first appeared, the main ingredient was pheasant meat, and the name "chakhokhbili" came from it. This is due to the fact that in Georgian the pheasant sounds like a "johobi". Traditionally, the dish is prepared from poultry meat and the simplest vegetables - tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Spice and herbs give the whole piquancy to the dish.
Chakhokhbili is not only an amazingly delicious dish, but also incredibly healthy and beautiful! The combination of meat and vegetables has always been considered optimal for the body. And the spices that make up its composition improve the digestion process and, thanks to its aroma, greatly increase appetite. It is no accident that the inhabitants of the Caucasus have always been considered long-livers. Indeed, fresh mountain air and proper nutrition are the key to good health and long life.
It is very simple, without special skills, to cook Georgian chakhokhbili from chicken. A step-by-step recipe for this delicious dish is given below.
Ingredients for the recipe "Chakhokhbili from chicken in Georgian"
- Chicken meat - 1 kg. Suitable as a whole chicken or chicken, and thighs and legs.
- Onions - 2-3 pieces of medium size.
- Bell pepper - 3 pieces.
- Tomatoes - about half a kilogram.
- Wine is half a glass.
- Garlic - a few cloves.
- Butter - 40 grams.
- Hot red pepper - 1 piece.
- Suneli hops - half a teaspoon.
- Saffron - a third of a teaspoon.
- Fresh herbs - dill, cilantro, basil.
- Salt.
Below is a step-by-step recipe for Chakhokhbili from chicken, which will take only an hour and a half of your time. After all, the cooking process of chakhokhbili is very simple and does not require any lengthy manipulations. All products used in the dish are simple, and they are always easy to find in any store or market.
Step One - Prepare Chicken
Rinse the chicken, dry thoroughly with paper towels and cut into pieces. Each piece of meat should be at least fifty grams. The larger you chop the meat, the more beautiful the finished dish will look. It is not necessary to use only fillet, minced meat will give the dish a unique shade of rich meat broth.
Put chicken into a well-heated thick-walled pan with butter. Do not rush to mix the meat often - be sure to wait for the appearance of a golden crust on each piece and only then turn it over. Chakhokhbili is a dish that does not endure excessive haste in cooking. For the best frying, put in the pan not all the meat at once, but in portions, little by little. As soon as you finish the last batch of meat, put all the pieces back into the pan, cover and turn off the gas.
Step Two - Preparing Vegetables
Peeled onions must be cut into thin half rings or quarter rings. Peppers are removed from seeds and partitions, and then rinsed again. Cut bell pepper into thin slices or strips. Be sure to peel the tomatoes. This is easiest to do after scalding with boiling water. Dice the tomatoes and start preparing the red pepper.
If you use fresh red pepper rather than ground pepper, be sure to wear gloves because the pepper is so hot that you may get skin irritation. Carefully cut it in half, remove all seeds and rinse thoroughly under running water. Cut into very small cubes. Garlic must be peeled and cut into small pieces. You should not crush garlic, as it will lose all its juice and aroma. Rinse the greens thoroughly, dry on a towel and chop finely.
Step Three - Roast Vegetables
Cook another hot pan and melt butter on it. First fry the onion on it until golden brown and soft. Remove the prepared onion from the pan and place it on the chicken. In the remaining oil, fry the slices of bell pepper and also send them to the chicken.
Step Four - Final Stew
We return to the pan with chicken and vegetables. Add tomatoes to them and, if desired, a couple of spoons of tomato paste, light the gas under a frying pan. Pour wine and meat to vegetables and sharply increase the fire. For five minutes, let the alcohol evaporate, then reduce the gas to a minimum and simmer for no more than twenty minutes. Add all the spices except fresh herbs, and simmer for another five minutes, turn off the gas, sprinkle with fresh herbs and tightly close the lid. Do not rush to serve the dish right away - let it brew a little and become even tastier!
Conclusion
Each mistress undoubtedly has her secrets for cooking this dish. Someone adds adjika, replaces cilantro with parsley, adds coriander, tarragon or zira. One thing we know for sure - having cooked the chakhokhbili at least once, you will leave this recipe in your menu forever. We wish you to find your best option for combining spices and the cooking process in order to delight your loved ones with Georgian cuisine again and again!