Georgian Lamb and Vegetable Pot (Chanakhi)
ჩანახი chanakhiSay it: chah-NAH-khee
Chanakhi is a Georgian one-pot dish from the wine country of Kakheti, where lamb, eggplant, potatoes and tomatoes are layered into a clay pot and baked slowly until everything melts together. It is a cold-weather family dish, brought to the table in the pot it was cooked in, and it tastes of rich lamb, sweet tomato, soft eggplant and a generous handful of herbs. Each spoonful is brothy rather than thick, made for scooping with bread.
Georgian Lamb and Vegetable Pot (Chanakhi)
ჩანახი, chanakhi
Pronounced chah-NAH-khee
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 25 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the pots
For the stew
Method
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Toss the eggplant chunks with 1 teaspoon of the salt in a colander and leave for 15 minutes while you prepare everything else, then pat them dry — this keeps the bake from turning watery or bitter.
Trim any hard sinew from the lamb but keep the fat, and cut it into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks; season with the remaining salt and the black pepper. Slice the onions, peppers and garlic, and cut the potatoes and tomatoes into even chunks.
Rub the inside of four 2-cup (480 ml) clay pots, or one 3-quart (2.8 l) Dutch oven, with the oil. Spread half the onion in the bottom, then add the lamb in an even layer.
Layer half the eggplant over the lamb, then half the potatoes, peppers and tomatoes, and scatter over half the garlic and half the cilantro along with the dried basil and bay leaf.
Repeat with the remaining onion, eggplant, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and cilantro, finishing with tomatoes on top. Pour in the water or wine — no more than ½ cup (120 ml), since the vegetables will release their own juice.
Cover with the lid and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 30–40 minutes, until the lamb is fork-tender, the top is browned in places and the liquid has reduced to a rich, reddish broth.
Let the pots stand for 10 minutes, taste the broth for salt and pepper, and scatter with the reserved cilantro. Serve straight from the pots.
Regional variants
Some cooks add green beans or a chopped red pepper, swap the lamb for beef, or bake the whole thing in one large clay pot or Dutch oven instead of individual portions. A spoonful of tkemali (sour plum sauce) or adjika on the side is a common modern touch.
Cook's notes
- Use fatty lamb shoulder or neck; lean cuts turn dry during the long bake.
- Keep the pieces roughly the same size so the potatoes and eggplant finish cooking with the meat.
- If the pots look dry when you lift the lid, add a splash of water or wine — but never more than a few tablespoons, or the stew turns soupy.
Serve with
Crusty bread or shoti to mop the broth, fresh cilantro, and a glass of dry Georgian white such as Rkatsiteli.
Make ahead and storage
Tastes even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate up to 3 days, then reheat covered at 325°F (165°C) with a splash of water.
