Abkhazia · 30 min · Vegetarian · Main course · For confident cooks
Chirbuli
In German: Tschirbuli
For 2 servings · US units
Eggs poached in tomato juices with walnuts, chilli and a pile of fresh herbs
Chirbuli is a Georgian egg dish from Abkhazia, where the eggs aren't fried at all — they set gently in the juices of the tomatoes. Onion, garlic, chilli and coarsely crushed walnuts go into the sauce, along with more fresh herbs than you'd think reasonable. You eat it straight from the pan, tearing off bread to dip into the tomato-and-egg sauce, and it's on the table in half an hour.
Ingredients
- 15¾ oztomatoesripe, diced; canned peeled tomatoes work too
- 3eggkeep the yolks intact when cracking
- 5¼ ozonionfinely diced or in half rings
- 3 clovesgarlicfinely chopped or crushed
- 1⅓ ozbuttervegetable oil as an alternative
- 2½ ozwalnutscoarsely ground, crushed with garlic and spices (optional)
- 1 tspChiliflakes or one fresh pod, finely chopped
- ½ tspBlue 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
- 1 pinch (optional)A Georgian blend of dried herbs and ground seeds, chiefly blue fenugreek, coriander and marigold, with a warm, nutty, herbal flavour.Substitute: A rough version can be mixed at home: ground coriander in equal parts with dried dill, summer savory and mint, plus a little ground fenugreek seed or, better, dried fenugreek leaves from an Indian grocer. Ordinary fenugreek is more bitter and sharper than blue fenugreek, so use it sparingly; without marigold the colour and earthy note are missing, and a pinch of turmeric replaces only the colour. The result is recognisably similar but not the same.Read more
- ½ tspground coriander (optional)
- 2½ ozgrated, stirred in before the eggs (optional)Georgian brined cheese from cow's or buffalo milk, scalded and kneaded like mozzarella but firmer and saltier, with a gently sour note.Substitute: The closest match is a mix of firm low-moisture mozzarella and some feta, roughly two to one: the mozzarella provides the melt and stretch, the feta the salt and tang. The result is softer and milder, and the feta crumbles rather than stretches, so a filling turns slightly grainy; for frying in slices the mix does not work, and halloumi is the better choice there, though it does not melt.Read more
- ⅓ ozdillroughly chopped
- ⅓ ozbasilpurple basil if available
- ½ oz (optional)The 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
- ⅓ ozparsley (optional)
- ⅓ ozSpring onions (optional)
- saltto taste
- black pepperto taste
- 1 tspcornflouronly to bind very juicy tomatoes (optional)
- breadfor dipping into the tomato-egg sauce
Method
- Crush the walnut mixtureCrush the walnuts with one clove of garlic, the blue fenugreek and the ground coriander until coarse — leave visible pieces, you want to feel them in the sauce later.
- Chop the onion and tomatoesDice the onion finely or cut it into half rings, and dice the tomatoes, peeling them first if you like; peeled canned tomatoes work just as well.
- Soften the onion gentlyHeat the butter or ghee in a wide pan and soften the onion over medium to low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, without letting it take on colour.
- Cook down the tomatoesAdd the tomatoes and let them cook down for 3 to 5 minutes, until you have a loose, juicy sauce.
- Season and add the walnutsSeason with salt and black pepper, stir in the remaining two cloves of garlic, the chilli and the khmeli suneli, then add the walnut mixture with a splash of water and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in herbs and cheeseStir in two thirds of the dill, basil, cilantro, parsley and spring onion and turn the heat down to its lowest setting. If you're using suluguni, stir in the grated cheese now and let it melt.
- Add the eggsPress hollows into the sauce with a spoon and slide in the eggs one by one, keeping the yolks intact.
- Cover and set the eggsCover and leave for 3 to 5 minutes, until the whites have set and the yolks are still runny.
- Garnish and serveTake the pan off the heat straight away, scatter over plenty of fresh herbs and serve directly from the pan with bread.
Tips and variations
The walnuts are optional, but when you use them, keep them coarse so they stay a visible part of the sauce. For a cheesier pan, melt grated suluguni into the tomatoes just before the eggs go in. There's a leaner version too: just tomatoes in olive oil with basil and oregano, skipping the onion, garlic and nuts. Butter, ghee, sunflower oil or olive oil all work as the fat, and mild peppers can stand in for the fresh chilli. If your tomatoes are very watery, dust a teaspoon of cornflour over the onions. Bring the pan to the table as it is, with plenty of bread for dipping.
Allergens
Contains: Eggs, Cereals containing gluten, Milk (including lactose)
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Tree nuts
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.
