Megrelian Kharcho Recipe: Georgian Beef & Walnut Stew

beef

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: pork

Chicken is lower in fat, while pork is often less expensive.

sour cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess.

walnuts

🥗Healthier: almonds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Almonds provide healthy fats, while sunflower seeds are more affordable.

chili peppers

🥗Healthier: bell peppers

💰Cheaper: red pepper flakes

Bell peppers are milder, and red pepper flakes are often cheaper.

Season beef stew meat liberally with salt and black pepper.

Trim excess fat from the meat and cut into bite-size pieces.

Dice half a medium yellow onion and roughly dice a small tomato.

Finely grind 125 grams of walnuts using a food processor or mortar and pestle.

Transfer the walnuts to a bowl and grate in a few cloves of garlic.

Add 1 teaspoon each of blue fenugreek, ground coriander seed, and dried marigold powder.

Add 0.5 teaspoon of dried savory or thyme and 0.25 teaspoon of cayenne pepper; stir to combine and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a large pot or Dutch oven until shimmering.

Add the beef and brown on all sides, being careful not to overcrowd the pot.

Remove the browned beef from the pot and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the diced onion with a pinch of salt; cook until softened and translucent.

Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the diced tomato and cook until it has broken down and released its juices, about 5 minutes.

Add the walnut, garlic, and spices mixture and stir to combine; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Return the beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices and stir to combine with the walnut mixture.

Pour in 500 ml of chicken stock, stir, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, cover, and allow to simmer for about 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 2.5 hours, uncover the pot and allow to simmer for an additional 30 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens