Chashushuli is the Kakhetian household beef stew — simpler than Megrelian kharcho, brighter than Imeretian lobio, leaning into tomato and bell pepper rather than walnut. Bay leaf and a tablespoon of ajika provide depth and heat. Eaten with white rice or a thick slice of shoti bread to mop up the red sauce.
Veal browned hard, then bathed in tomato that has cooked down enough to coat without being a sauce. Garlic is unsubtle; chili is present but not lead. Eaten with bread to soak the pan juices.
The hard initial sear creates Maillard compounds on the meat surface, which then dissolve back into the tomato sauce during the braise — building flavor without adding stock. No water, no broth, no thickener.
Variations
Mountain chashushuli uses pork; lowland Kakhetian uses veal or beef; some versions add eggplant chunks in summer — the meat changes with what's at hand.
On the Palate
Where Chashushuli sits in the Georgian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour 2 min active + 28 min waiting
- 118 min
Brown 1 kg cubed beef chuck in 3 tbsp oil in a heavy pot, 8 min.
Watch outGet a hard sear on the beef cubes until they're deep brown and crusted — this browning dissolves back into the sauce and is the whole flavor, since no stock or water goes in.
- 218 min
Add 2 chopped onions; sauté 5 min. Add 6 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp blue fenugreek; stir 1 min.
- 318 min
Add 400g chopped tomatoes (or 1 can), 2 chopped red bell peppers, 1 bay leaf, salt, pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- 418 min
Cover; cook over low heat 75 minutes until beef is fork-tender.
Watch outKeep it barely simmering under the lid until the beef gives to a fork — the tomatoes and peppers throw off enough juice on their own; resist adding liquid.
- 518 min
Stir in 2 tbsp ajika and 1 small bunch chopped cilantro. Simmer 10 more min uncovered to reduce. Serve with white rice or bread.
Watch outStir in the ajika and cilantro at the very end and reduce uncovered a few minutes — added early the fresh heat and herb go flat.
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