Chakhokhbili in pots in the oven

To immerse yourself in the spicy flavors of Georgia, you don't necessarily have to visit expensive restaurants or buy a plane ticket. You can prepare the most famous dishes yourself, especially since their recipes are quite simple. For example, Chakhokhbili in pots in the oven can be made in just an hour and a half. The whole secret lies in a specific set of spices that give that very spicy taste, and in the right technique of preparing the vegetables.

Yield: 2 pots.

Cooking time: 90 minutes.

Caloric content: 78 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Cuisine: Georgian.

Ingredients

• 300 g meat;
• 300 g eggplants;
• 300 g tomatoes;
• 200 g sweet peppers;
• 300 g potatoes;
• 100 g onions;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tsp seasoning khmeli-suneli;
• ½ tsp ground chili pepper;
• 2 tsp salt;
• 20 g butter;
• 6 black peppercorns.

Preparation

1. For making Chakhokhbili in pots in the oven, beef or lamb is traditionally used, of course, you can use any other meat. Rinse the meat, dry it with a paper towel, and cut it into medium cubes.

2. Cut the eggplant into medium or large wedges, depending on the size of the vegetable. Bitter eggplants can be soaked in salted water for 30 minutes beforehand.

3. Similarly, cut the peeled potatoes. Try not to cut the potatoes too small, so they don’t turn into mush. Cut the tomato into medium cubes as well.

4. Remove the stem, seeds, and internal partitions from the red pepper. Cut the pepper into cubes the same size as the other vegetables. Thinly slice the onion into half rings.

5. Before starting to assemble the pot, it's important to sauté all the vegetables separately, except for the tomato. Heat the pan with oil and add the eggplants. Sauté them for 2-3 minutes on each side until a crust forms. Transfer the half-cooked eggplants to a dry dish.

6. Cook the other vegetables in the same oil, adding more as needed. Sauté the sweet pepper for 1-2 minutes on each side.

7. Then fry the potatoes until partially cooked. Over high heat achieve a bright crust, which takes about 3-4 minutes on each side.

8. Over medium heat, quickly sauté the onion for about 2-3 minutes. It should just become soft, so it’s important not to burn it.

9. Finally, sauté the meat. Cook it over high heat on both sides for 5-6 minutes, achieving a crust.

10. Place the meat at the bottom of the pot, add a little salt, chopped garlic, and pour in 20-30 ml of the water in which the spices are dissolved. It's not necessary to add a lot of liquid, the tomato will release plenty of juice, which is enough to create a good broth. Layer the vegetables: eggplants, potatoes, onions, peppers, and fresh tomatoes. Between the layers, you can place small slices of butter for a pleasant taste. Cover the pots with a lid or foil and place them in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 60 minutes.

11. After the time has passed, remove the Chakhokhbili in pots from the oven, let the contents of the pots meld in flavor and cool slightly for 10-15 minutes. Before serving, mix the vegetable layers with the meat and serve warm. Look how beautiful, and most importantly – how delicious the dish we have made is!