Georgians know a lot about cooking delicious food - this is a well-known fact. In this recipe for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken, ordinary white meat turns into a fragrant and colorful delicacy. This dish is an ensemble of the best ingredients, with all its simplicity.
Probably only the lazy did not hear about chakhokhbili. But, for example, some do not know that this is not soup, but a full-fledged second course. No one will argue that Georgian cuisine can safely be considered the world culinary heritage of mankind. In turn, Chakhokhbili takes a worthy place in it. If you want to impress your guests with gourmet food, this is the best option. Chakhokhbili is a dish of meat and vegetables, simply put, the Georgian version of stew. And he has many different options. There are many recipes for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken . It is considered as a classic phased option on how to make this dish.
How did this dish appear?
The name of this Georgian dish speaks of what meat it was originally prepared from. Chakhokhbili was previously the food of hunters. It was originally made from pheasant. In Georgian, this bird with bright plumage is called "chakhokhbili." It was for the pheasant that the classic recipe was invented. In addition to the obligatory set of spices for meat, it is required to apply additional ones - hops-suneli and coriander grains.
Only if the bird is too young and thin, it is allowed to add a little oil during braising. But this can only be done after the chicken releases the juice. The meat should acquire a special shade. If the juice exudes too much, it is drained and then added when the liquid evaporates. The dish is salted twice during cooking: first, before putting vegetables, and then - together with spices, to taste.
What is it made of now?
Today, pheasant is becoming too rare in the mountains of the Caucasus. Therefore, the famous Georgian dish has changed. The most popular version is chicken chakhokhbili. Variation from turkey is used less often.
It is best to take a chicken carcass. If possible, take poultry. If you cannot purchase the whole carcass, it is possible to prepare its individual parts. But in this case, it is better to take the shins, as there is a lot of meat and only a few bones. Below is a detailed recipe and a step-by-step photo of a chicken chakhokhbili.
Regardless of which meat is used, it is the main ingredient. It should be selected in accordance with certain requirements. The meat must certainly be “full” and have fat, but not too much. In addition, you need to take a young bird. Why is this so important? The peculiarity of this dish is that it is fried without any other fats. That is why meat should not be lean. In addition, be sure to cut it into not too large pieces - as if for goulash. The next indispensable ingredient in the recipe for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken is onions. Experienced culinary experts insist on this. The third mandatory component is vegetables, the amount of which should coincide with the amount of meat. In the classic recipe for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken in Georgian, water is not provided. The dish is stewed in juice, which is thrown out by vegetables.
Proportion of Ingredients
The following is a recipe with a photo of cooking Chakhokhbili from chicken with a detailed guide. How to calculate the number of components? For example, you want to cook half a kilogram of meat. It will require 500 grams of tomatoes. There is a mandatory bouquet of seasonings for chakhokhbili. The recipe in its classical form requires the addition of dill, mint, tarragon. They should be taken one tablespoon each. In addition, dry seasonings are needed - basil, parsley, red pepper, salt. You can add them as you wish.
Take certainly half the head of garlic. Hot red pepper add 1 teaspoon. Usually four bulbs are needed for this amount of meat. An additional component are three potatoes.
The final selection of components
So, what do you need for chicken chakhokhbili? The recipe, as already mentioned above, recommends taking the same amount of meat and vegetables. You should prepare a large chicken (more than one kilogram, preferably one and a half), and take 4 large or 6 small onions, 1 kg of very ripened tomatoes and 3-4 potato tubers. You will certainly need greens and seasonings. The recipe for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken will not do without spices - this is a whole garlic head, pod of red pepper, a bunch of green parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil. The classic set of dry spices, as you recall, is a combination of saffron, coriander and suneli hops - each with a teaspoon. Some culinary experts advise adding tarragon.
It is prescribed to take out all the entrails from the chicken and cut the carcass into medium pieces. They should be of such a size that they can be conveniently picked up by hand. Excessive skin should be better cut off.
Product Add Sequence
A step-by-step recipe with a photo of a chicken chakhokhbili offers the following sequence. Initially, chicken is added to a preheated pan or pot. Fry it for 10 minutes, and then put onions, which should be finely chopped beforehand. Then continue to fry everything in your own juice and fat for another five minutes. Then scald the tomatoes. It is required to remove the skin from them, and crush the flesh with a fork. Then put this mass to the chicken.
Further, according to the recipe with a photo of a chakhokhbili with chicken, cooking continues. Peel and cut the potatoes into small slices. Add it to meat and tomatoes. Mix everything thoroughly and simmer for another 20 minutes, then salt. At the very end you need to add spices. All seasonings (dry and fresh herbs) must be mixed beforehand and added to the pan. At this point, the fire should be reduced. The dish should cook for 3-4 minutes. Only then must you put pressed or chopped garlic. After that, turn off the gas and keep the dish under the lid for several minutes so that the aromas of all the components soak each other.
Quenching
As mentioned above, the traditional recipe refers to the “dry frying” of meat. To prevent it being burnt, you need to put pieces of carcass into a preheated pan and hold for about five minutes under a lid over low heat.
Then the juice must be extracted from the meat. It must be drained into a separate container. Then the fire can be increased. Chicken pieces should be fried for 10 minutes, often turning them over. The cover does not need to be used. During the roasting process, you can add meat juice. Chopped onions (large strips) should be laid at the very end. If the chicken is not fat at all, add a little oil at this stage. But this must be done very gradually. So that you can move on to the next stage, the bow should become soft and get a golden hue.
Vegetables
Now it's the turn of tomatoes. As noted above, the tomatoes are scalded, peeled, and the remaining flesh wrinkles. Then all this is added to the chicken and mixed. Now you have to cut the potatoes into large slices and also put them in a pot or pot. Mix all the ingredients again. Now you can close the pan with a lid, turn down the heat and wait 20 minutes. Typically, tomatoes produce so much fluid that you do not need to add anything. But it also happens that potatoes begin to burn. In this case, water is required.
Add spices
Chakhokhbili garlic is prescribed to cut with a knife. This is done so as not to emit too much juice during the grinding process. The same thing happens with pepper. Greens should be cleaned of coarse stems and cut into small parts. Dry spices are mixed with fresh spices, except for garlic. The entire indicated set is introduced in chakhokhbili, after which the dish is kept on low heat for five minutes. The main thing is that the vegetable sauce becomes thicker. Then the gas is turned off and garlic is added. Then chakhokhbili should be left to soak. The stew must be left under the lid for 5 or 6 minutes, so that all the ingredients are ripe. Now you can serve the dish.
Can I add other components?
If you wish, you can supplement the dish with any vegetables of your choice. The recipe for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken with eggplant is especially popular. They should be added at the same time as tomatoes. Bell peppers can also be used.
The calorie content of food is on average 119.7 kcal.
Simplified multicooker recipe
As can be understood from the above, the preparation of the classic chakhokhbili requires some experience and patience. Therefore, it is not surprising that simplified versions of the dish appeared. For example, there is a recipe for cooking chakhokhbili from chicken in a slow cooker. He needs the following:
- chicken thighs or breasts - 1 kilogram;
- onion - 3 pieces;
- tomatoes - 5 pieces;
- bell pepper - 2 pieces;
- garlic - 4 prongs;
- dry red wine - 400 milliliters;
- basil (fresh);
- salt, pepper - to taste;
- hops suneli - 0.25 teaspoons;
- saffron - 0.25 teaspoons;
- butter.
How to do it?
Onions and bell peppers are cut into half rings. Make cruciform cuts on the tomatoes and dip them in boiling water, then remove the peel and cut them into cubes. Grind garlic and herbs.
Rinse the chicken, dry it and fry in the multicooker bowl. When it reaches a golden color, remove it.
Sauté the onion until light golden brown. In the same way, add and cook bell pepper. Return the chicken to the bowl and stir with the vegetables. Then add the tomatoes and salt to the dish. Pour in the wine and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid open. Then close the slow cooker and leave it to simmer for 20 minutes. When the chakhokhbili is almost ready, add garlic, basil, herbs, suneli hops, saffron and mix everything. Stew for another 7 minutes. Leave on for five minutes in heating mode.