Chakhokhbili – Chicken in tomato sauce

Chakhokhbili – a dish made of stewed chicken meat and fresh herbs. A name comes from the Georgian word “Khokhobi”, which means pheasant. So, if we translate it literally and in a funny way, it means “pheasanted”. I think I like the word pheasant as a verb pretty much, so, I shall use it.  Thus, based on its naming, we can assume that the first “victim” of the dish was exactly a pheasant.

Today, chicken is the most popular meat to pheasant. It is a cheaper and more available option. Though, we also meet rabbits and some wild birds in old Georgian cookbooks. I should note that after the October Revolution apart from many things, the cuisine was also changed. It became more simplified, “bourgeois” ingredients were replaced with a cheaper, more social and available options. I will surely expand this issue in the coming posts.

Generally, Chakhokhbili is spread in Kartli and Kakheti regions of Georgia. However, some people make it in other parts of Georgia as well.

As for the tomatoes, initially, the dish was made without tomatoes and after introducing the tomatoes in II half of XVII c, tomatoes were also added to the dish. It should be noted that after introducing many cultures from the Americas, lots of dishes were changed.

Recommendations:

For juicier version, you can add more water and tomatoes to the dish. If it is spring outside, apart from other fresh herbs, I prefer to add tarragon as well.