Kakheti · 2 h · Meat · Main course · For beginners
Chakapuli
In German: Tschakapuli
For 6 servings · US units
Lamb braised with mountains of tarragon, sour plums and white wine
Chakapuli is Georgia's spring dish: young lamb, a whole heap of tarragon and tart green plums, all softening together in dry white wine. Nothing gets browned, and once the lid is on, nobody stirs the pot. The herbs steam the meat until it slides off the bone and the sauce turns green, sour and impossible to stop eating. Serve it with Georgian bread and a glass of white wine, and you're set.
Ingredients
- 2⅔ lblambcut into bite-sized pieces
- 5¼ ozleaves and tender stems, roughly choppedA fresh herb with narrow leaves and a distinct anise note, often used by the bunch in Georgian cooking.Substitute: Where tarragon goes in fresh and in quantity, there is no good substitute, since dried tarragon tastes flat and hay-like. Chervil or fennel fronds come closest to the anise note but are milder and less pungent.Read more
- 4¼ ozchopped with stemsThe fresh leaves and tender stems of the coriander plant, with a bright, lemony, pungent aroma.Substitute: There is no true substitute: flat-leaf parsley adds freshness and colour but not the distinctive aroma, and dried cilantro has little flavour left. If it is missing, use more of the other fresh herbs, knowing the dish will taste noticeably different.Read more
- 3½ ozparsley
- 4¼ ozSpring onionscoarsely cut
- 7 ozprovides the sournessSmall, very tart cherry plums, either green and unripe or ripe in yellow and red, which Georgians cook down into sauce or use as the souring element in stews.Substitute: Unripe, still firm ordinary plums come closest. Ripe plums with lemon juice add acidity, but the fruit is sweeter and softer, and the sauce comes out less fresh and sharp.Read more
- 2½ cupsWhite wine
- 5 clovesgarlicchopped or crushed
- 2onionthinly sliced into half-rings
- 2Green chili
- 1 ozbutterstirred in at the end or used to coat the pot (optional)
- 1 tsp (optional)Blue fenugreek, called utskho suneli in Georgia: dried, ground leaves and seed pods with a mild, hay-like, nutty aroma.Substitute: Dried fenugreek leaves from an Indian grocer come closest but are stronger and more bitter, so use about half the amount; ground fenugreek seed is harsher still and works only very sparingly. Khmeli suneli contains blue fenugreek but also brings coriander, dill and other spices, which changes the character of the dish.Read more
- saltto taste
- black pepperfreshly ground
Method
- Cut up the lambCut the lamb (bone-in shoulder, leg or ribs) into bite-sized pieces, leaving the bone in each piece, and trim away any tough membrane as you go.
- Wash and chop the herbsWash the tarragon, cilantro and parsley, dry them well, pull off the woody tarragon stems and chop everything roughly; cut the spring onions coarsely.
- Slice onions, garlic and chiliesSlice the onions into thin half-rings, chop or crush the garlic and finely chop the green chilies or mild green peppers.
- Layer everything in the potLayer the meat, onions, garlic, chili, herbs, spring onions and the green sour plums (or tkemali) into a heavy pot or cauldron, finishing with a layer of herbs on top. Add the butter or a little utskho suneli here if you like.
- Season and add the wineSeason with salt and pepper and pour the dry white wine over everything; if you're using tkemali sauce, stir it into the wine first.
- Braise low and slowCover, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down as low as it will go and braise for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the meat falls softly off the bone. Try not to stir, so the herbs can steam the meat.
- Taste and serveTaste at the end for salt and check that the sourness is right; serve hot in deep bowls with Georgian bread.
Tips and variations
You can also simmer the meat on its own in the wine for 15 to 20 minutes first, then add the herbs plus a litre of water and cook for another hour. For more depth, season with utskho suneli, ground coriander and red pepper. For a rounder finish, stir in pieces of butter at the end and let them melt. A heartier version starts by rendering lamb tail fat and softening the onions in it. That version braises for only about 40 minutes. It also swaps fresh tarragon for tarragon syrup and adds basil and cress to the pot. It's especially good made in a clay ketsi and brought straight to the table, with shoti or lavash and a glass of white wine. Braising time depends on the age of the lamb: the older the animal, the longer it needs.
Allergens
Contains: Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Milk (including lactose)
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
