Chashushuli
Chashushuli (ჩაშუშული): spicy Georgian beef stew with tomatoes
Chashushuli is a fiery beef stew from the home kitchens and Tbilisi taverns of eastern Georgia, cooked in a clay ketsi pot or a heavy pan and eaten with shoti bread. Beef simmers slowly with lots of onion and tomato, then gets a hit of garlic, chilli, khmeli suneli and fresh coriander right at the end. It is meant to be spicy, but you can halve the chilli. Chef's tip: cook it until the sauce is thick enough to scoop with bread; Georgians do not eat it like soup.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the stew
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pan over a high heat and brown 1 ¾ lb beef chuck or veal shoulder in 2 batches for 5 minutes each. Return all the beef to the pan.
12 minStep 2: Add 3 onions and cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes until soft. Add 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoes, 1 green pepper and 1 ¼ cups water.
10 minStep 3: Cover and simmer very gently for 1¼ hours, stirring every 20 minutes and adding a splash of water if it gets dry, until the beef is tender.
75 minStep 4: Stir in 5 cloves garlic, 2 fresh hot chillies, 2 tsp khmeli suneli spice blend, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 ½ tsp salt and cook uncovered for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick. A common mistake is adding the spices at the start; the garlic and chilli lose their heat.
5 minStep 5: Turn off the heat, stir in 1 large handful fresh coriander and 1 small handful fresh basil, cover for 3 minutes and serve with bread.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chashushuli take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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