Chanakhi

Ingredients

Meat and vegetables

• 1.2 kglamb shoulder, in large pieces
• 4aubergines, in thick rounds
• 6potatoes, halved
• 4tomatoes, chopped
• 2onions, sliced
• 1 headgarlic, cloves peeled
• 1chilli
• 100 gbutter

Herbs and spice

• 1large bunch coriander
• 1 bunchparsley
• 1 bunchbasil
• 1 tspblue fenugreek
• salt and black pepper

Equipment

• individual earthenware pots with lids, or one large clay pot

Directions

1. Salt the aubergine rounds and leave them for 20 minutes, then pat them dry. This draws out moisture that would otherwise water down a dish designed to cook in almost none.
2. Layer the raw ingredients straight into the pots: onion at the bottom, then lamb, then potato, then aubergine, then tomato on top.
3. Tuck garlic cloves, a piece of chilli and a knob of butter between the layers as you build.
4. Nothing is browned and nothing is fried first. Every ingredient goes in raw, which is precisely what the sealed pot is for.
5. Add no water at all. The tomatoes, onions and lamb release everything the dish needs and the lid keeps it inside.
6. Season each layer as you go, because you will not be able to stir it afterwards.
7. Put the lids on, sealing the rims with a strip of flour-and-water dough if they do not fit closely.
8. Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.
9. Take the pots out, lift the lids, and stir in a great deal of chopped fresh herbs along with the blue fenugreek.
10. Replace the lids for 5 minutes so the herbs steam rather than boil, then serve in the pots they were cooked in, which is what the name refers to.

Technique

• Raw in, no water, sealed lid. It is one of the simplest dishes in Georgian cooking and one of the hardest to improve on.
• The individual pot is not just presentation. A small sealed vessel steams the vegetables in their own juices in a way a large open casserole cannot.
• Salting the aubergine matters more here than in a fried dish, because there is nowhere for the excess water to go.

Substitutions

• A heavy casserole with a tight-fitting lid, cooked for the same time.
• Beef instead of lamb, given an extra 30 minutes.

Variations

• With green beans layered in among the potatoes.
• With quince in autumn, which adds a sharp perfume.
• Without aubergine in winter, using more potato instead.

History

Named after the individual earthenware pot it is cooked and served in, sealed so the vegetables steam in their own juices.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chanakhi?

Chanakhi is a soup & stew from Georgia: lamb baked slowly in a clay pot with aubergine, tomato and potato. Named after the individual earthenware pot it is cooked and served in, sealed so the vegetables steam in their own juices.

How long does Chanakhi take to make?

Chanakhi takes 30 min of preparation and 2 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chanakhi?

Yes, within limits. A heavy casserole with a tight-fitting lid, cooked for the same time. Beef instead of lamb, given an extra 30 minutes.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chanakhi?

Salt the aubergine rounds and leave them for 20 minutes, then pat them dry. This draws out moisture that would otherwise water down a dish designed to cook in almost none.