You’ve been to Georgia and want to recreate some of your favorite dishes back home? Or maybe you haven’t traveled here yet, but still want to try a prepare something on your own? We know what it feels to miss Georgian comfort food, so we prepared a list of simple Georgian recipes for you to try at home and introduce our diverse cuisine to your friends and family.
Georgian cuisine is as diverse as its culture and landscape, where every region has its own cuisine and distinguished dishes. Eating and drinking are essential in Georgian culture – almost every occasion includes dinner and drinks. And as we’ve been part of the historical Silk Road, various travelers and merchants passing through the country have influenced Georgian food recipes over the centuries.
Traditional Georgian recipes combine spicy, flavorful, and unique ingredients, which create distinctive tastes. When looking at Georgian cooking recipes, you’ll notice that the cuisine is heavy on dough, meat, and walnuts. However, many Georgian recipes feature plant-based ingredients for those who follow a vegetarian and vegan diet.
Chakhokhbili
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
- Chicken – 1 medium-size
- Onions – 3
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Tomatoes – 3
- Coriander – 1-2 tbs.
In the past, the main ingredient of Chakhokhbili was a pheasant, which also gave the name to this dish. Although the word ‘pheasant’ (Khokhobi) remains in its name, modern Georgian food recipes call for chicken meat.
Cut the chicken into 5-7cm (2-3 inch) pieces and place it in the large saucepan. Cut the onions into small pieces and add them to the pan. Stew chicken and onions without water on low heat.
When the chicken is cooked, add coriander, mashed garlic, and peeled and cut tomatoes. If you feel the liquid is not enough, add a cup or two of water. Continue cooking for 10-12 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ajapsandali
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
- Eggplant – 1kg (2 – 2.5 lbs)
- Onion – 1 medium-size
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Potatoes – 3 medium-size
- Tomatoes – 2 medium-size
- Red bell pepper – 1
- Coriander – 1-2 tsp.
- Parsley – 1 tsp.
- Dill – 1 tsp.
- Basil – 1 tsp.
- Corn oil
Cut eggplants into cubes, place them in a bowl and add salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes; afterward, squeeze them with your hands to remove the bitterness and extra moisture from the eggplants.
Dice onions into medium sizes, mash garlic, cut potatoes into cubes, and bell pepper into half-circles. Place everything into an oil-greased saucepan and saute them on medium heat until potatoes and eggplants are ready. Add peeled and diced tomatoes and keep the pan on the stove simmering for another 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Khachapuri
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
- Egg – 1
- Matsoni (or Greek yogurt) – 250gr (8.5 oz)
- Unsalted butter – 100gr (3 oz)
- Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
- Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
Slightly salted cheese (ideally Georgian Imeruli Cheese) – 1 kg (2-2.5 lbs). If you can’t find it – a mozzarella and Edam cheese combo makes a great substitute.
All-purpose flour
Mix egg, matsoni, butter, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Mix baking soda and vinegar separately in a small glass and add to the bowl with other ingredients. Gradually add all-purpose flour to form the dough – it should be soft and stretchy.
Cover the bowl with plastic food wrap and leave it for 1.5-2 hours to raise. Meanwhile, grate the cheese. Once the dough is ready, knead it for a few minutes and divide it into four equal pieces. Roll one piece of dough into a round shape, place cheese in the middle of the dough, and bring the edges to the center in a knot. Leave a small hole in the center, or prick using a fork so that air releases when baking.
Baje
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
- Walnuts – 200gr (7 oz)
- Garlic – 5-6 cloves (1/4 of minced garlic)
- Water – 300ml (1.2 cooking cups)
If you are looking for effortless Georgian recipes, try making Baje. Put walnuts and garlic in a blender and add water. Whisk together until thoroughly combined. Add salt, red pepper, and saffron. Baje should be of a thin consistency, so it’s necessary to add water. Chicken broth also can be used instead of water.
Mchadi
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
- Corn flour – 3 cups
- Water – 1.5 cup
Mchadi is one of the most common Georgian dishes many locals and foreigners love. For example, in western Georgia, particularly in Imereti and Guria, Mchadi replaces bread, making it an integral part of their cuisine.
Making Mchadi is one of the easiest Georgian recipes you can find in this article as it requires only two ingredients. Mix corn flour and water to create a thick but slightly runny dough; it should not be firm like typical bread dough. Preheat the pan on a stovetop and add oil, then spread Mchadi dough in the pan in small flat balls or oval shapes. If you want crispier Mchadi, you can bake it in the oven without any oil.
Once fried/baked, many locals love to cut Mchadi in half, put a slice of salty cheese, let it sit for a few minutes for the cheese to melt inside, and enjoy a simple “mchadi sandwich.”
Georgian food recipes also feature another type of Mchadi, called Chvishtari, where grated cheese is mixed together with water and corn flour. Consequently, it doesn’t require additional cheese slices.
Chakapuli
Photo Source: Advantour
- Lamb meat (with bones) – 1kg (2-2.5 lbs)
- Green onion – 100 gr (3 oz)
- Green garlic – 150 gr (4-5 oz)
- Cilantro – 100 gr (3 oz)
- Parsley – 100 gr (3 oz)
- Dill – 100 gr (3 oz)
- Tarragon – 350-400 gr (12-14 oz)
- Green plums – 8-10 pieces
- Dry white wine – 1 cup
Chakapuli is an early spring dish in Georgia, primarily made for Easter dinner. The main ingredient is Tkemali – local green plum-like sour fruit.
Cut lamb meat into medium-sized pieces and prepare mixed herbs by dicing them thinly. Into the saucepan, make layers of meat, herbs, and plums. Pour over dry white wine, cover, and place it on the stovetop over the low flame.
Eggplants with walnut
Photo Source: OneGreenPlanet
- Eggplant – 500 gr (1.1 lbs)
- Walnuts – 250gr (8.81 oz)
- Garlic – 5-6 cloves
- Coriander (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Saffron or marigold (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Fenugreek (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Red pepper (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Water – 4 tbsp.
- White wine vinegar – 3 tbsp.
- Optional – fresh herbs or pomegranate seeds for garnish
Eggplant in walnut paste or Badrijani Nigvzit is probably one of the most famous Georgian side dishes and appetizers every foreigner raves about. To prepare it, take 1 kg medium-sized eggplant, wash, cut lengthwise into three-four equal parts, add salt and let it sit for a while to release bitterness and extra moisture. Then squeeze out excess liquid and fry in sunflower oil. Let it cool completely.
For the walnut paste, it’s better to use a meat grinder to grind walnuts and garlic. Then, add all the spices and wet ingredients to make a paste consistency.
Spread the walnut mixture onto the eggplant slices, and either fold them in half or roll them. It’s best to prepare it 3-4 hours before serving or overnight to let all the flavors and spices infuse the eggplant.
Chikhirtma
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
- Chicken – 1 medium-size
- All-purpose flour – 1-2 tbsp.
- Onion – 1 medium-size
- Coriander – 100 gr (3 oz)
- Eggs – 2
- Vinegar – 1 tbsp.
If you are looking for Georgian cooking recipes that go well with hungover or cold weather, try making Chikhirtma.
Boil one medium-sized chicken, strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve, reserve it, and put it aside to cool down. Add flour to a small amount of cold broth and mix so that it becomes a homogeneous mass. Fry finely chopped onion in a pan; then add it to the cold broth and put it on the stovetop to boil.
When the broth boils, slowly mix in small portions of the flour-broth mixture and stir continuously with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer for 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs separately and slowly start mixing them into the simmering broth while stirring simultaneously.
Once everything is incorporated well, turn off the flame and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Then add freshly shopped coriander, vinegar, and salt to taste.
Spinach Pkhali
Photo Source: Food To Glow
- Spinach – 1 kg (2-2.5 lbs)
- Green onions – 200 gr (7 oz)
- Walnuts – 150 gr (4-5 oz)
- Garlic – 5 cloves
- Coriander (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Saffron or marigold (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Fenugreek (dried) – 1 tsp.
- Red pepper (dried) – 1 tsp.
- White wine vinegar – 3 tbsp.
- Optional – pomegranate seeds for garnish
Spinach Pkhali is one of many favorite Georgian side dishes. None of the traditional Georgian dinner, or supra, is set without it.
Wash the spinach very well and boil it in water for 5 minutes. Let it cool down before squeezing the extra liquid from the spinach. Set aside.
Make a walnut paste by grinding it in the meat grinder or blender. Add garlic, green onions, vinegar, and dried spices. Mix everything. Combine walnut paste and boiled spinach. You can serve them flat on the plate or make small balls and garnish them with pomegranate seeds.
Mkhlovani with spinach
Photo Source: Georgian Journal
All-purpose flour – 200 gr
- Yeast – 5 gr
- Salt – 5 gr
- Oil – 20 ml
- Water – 100 ml
- Spinach – 500 gr
- Green onions – 10 gr
- Coriander – 10 gr
- Oil – 50 ml
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional – cheese
Mkhlovani is one of the types of Khachapuri made either with spinach or beetroot leaves.
First, make the dough as it needs to rise. Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Then, mix the flour and salt in a separate bowl and add the yeast to combine everything well.
Grease your hands with oil to easily knead the dough. Place it in the bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Knead again in 30 minutes and leave to rise.
Chop spinach leaves and saute them in oil. Add chopped green onions, coriander, salt, and pepper. Adding shredded cheese to the mixture is optional, but it gives a pleasant taste to it.
Once the dough is ready, make it of a round shape. Put the warm spinach filling and bring the edges to the center in a knot. Then flatten it a bit, leave a small hole in the center, or prick using a fork. Bake for 7-10 minutes at 220-250C.
