Georgian-Style Baked Chanakhi in Clay Pots

A unique dish with a unique taste! Chanakhi in pots in the oven in Georgian is meat stewed with vegetables. The basis of the dish includes eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes. The rest is added to taste. In Georgia, chanakhi is traditionally baked in clay pots.
cook time: 2h
Lucas Halstead
Georgian-Style Baked Chanakhi in Clay Pots

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

137
Calories
10g
Fat
5g
Carbs
8g
Protein

Ingredients (4 portions)

Basic:

Garlic 2 clove
Tomatoes 2 pc
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Butter 30 g
Potato 200 g
Parsley 10 g
Vegetable oil (approximately) 50 ml
Dill 10 g
Eggplant 300 g
Mutton 500 g
Green cilantro 10 g

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make Chanakhi in pots in the oven in Georgian style? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. For chanakha, beef, pork or lamb on the bone or only the pulp is usually used. It is better to take strong tomatoes so that they retain their shape during baking. The same goes for eggplant. If the eggplant is large, one is enough; if it is small, then you need to take 2-3 pieces.

Step 2

Step 2
How to cut meat? Wash the meat, dry it and cut into medium pieces. If you cut it finely, it will quickly dry out and become tough, and if you cut it coarsely, on the contrary, it will take longer to cook. Therefore, the medium size of the pieces is just right.

Step 3

Step 3
Wash the eggplants, dry them and cut them into medium pieces. During the frying process, moisture will leave them and they will decrease in size. Finely chopped eggplants will spread during baking. Sprinkle the eggplants with salt, stir and leave for 20 minutes to remove the bitterness. During this time, they may darken and secrete juice that will need to be drained. Then rinse the eggplants from salt and lightly squeeze out excess moisture.

Step 4

Step 4
How to cut potatoes? Peel the potatoes and cut into medium cubes. This way it will retain its shape when baked, and it will be convenient to eat.

Step 5

Step 5
Wash the tomatoes, dry and cut into slices. It is better to take dense tomatoes. If the tomatoes are soft, they will boil too much when baked. Drain off the juice released when cutting tomatoes. Strong tomatoes produce practically no juice.

Step 6

Step 6
Peel the garlic and finely chop it or pass it through a press. Rinse the greens with water, shake off moisture and finely chop. If desired, you can take more greens. Turn on the oven at 180 degrees in advance.

Step 7

Step 7
Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan. Read about how to choose the right oil in a separate article, link at the end of the recipe. Fry the eggplants, stirring occasionally, over high heat until golden brown. If the eggplants are not squeezed out first (step 3), then when they come into contact with hot oil they will start to shoot and you will have to wash everything around them. Remove the finished eggplants from the pan and place on a plate.

Step 8

Step 8
If there is a little fat left in the pan after the eggplants, then there is no need to add vegetable oil again. Add the potatoes and fry over high heat until golden brown. The inside of the potatoes will remain tough, but during baking in pots they will reach the desired level of readiness. Transfer potatoes to a plate.

Step 9

Step 9
Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the meat over high heat to quickly seal in all the meat juices until golden brown. The meat is fried last, because it leaves dark fat in the pan, which can then transfer to the vegetables. To avoid washing the pan after meat, it is better to fry it last.

Step 10

Step 10
First place the meat in pots (ceramic or clay) in one layer, add a small piece of butter on top. Oil will provide the dish with a soft creamy taste and fat, which will protect the meat and vegetables from burning. Lightly salt and pepper the meat and each subsequent layer. Chanakhi can be prepared either in portioned pots or in one large pot.

Step 11

Step 11
Next, add the eggplants, then the fried potatoes and another piece of butter.

Step 12

Step 12
Place tomato slices on top.

Step 13

Step 13
Sprinkle everything with chopped herbs and garlic.

Step 14

Step 14
Cover the pots with lids and place in a preheated oven for 1 hour. The exact time depends on your oven. You can learn about the operating features of ovens from a separate article, link at the end of the recipe. I cook in an electric oven on medium. During baking, enough juice is released from meat and vegetables, but if necessary, you can add 50-70 ml of water or broth to the pots. This is especially true if the extinguishing process takes longer than 1 hour.

Step 15

Step 15
Bon appetit!

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