Tarkhunis ghvezeli

Kakhetian·Medium·50 min

A fragrant savory pie stuffed with huge quantities of fresh tarragon, hard-boiled eggs, scallions and coriander, folded in yeast or kefir dough and baked. Tarragon is the defining flavor of this eastern Georgian pie.

Egg

Tarkhunis ghvezeli is a traditional savory pie of eastern Georgia, classified by TasteAtlas as originating from the Kakheti region. It is stuffed with enormous quantities of fresh tarragon (tarkhuni), hard-boiled eggs, scallions and coriander, and folded into a yeast or kefir dough before baking. The bold use of tarragon is the Kakhetian signature; eastern Georgia is herb country, and this pie is the showcase of it. It is eaten warm, cut into wedges.

A golden, slightly chewy crust giving way to a vividly green, anise-scented filling of tarragon and eggs, the herb flavour dominant, the eggs binding it. Eaten warm, it is aromatic, savoury and unmistakably tarragon.

The filling is built on a very large volume of fresh tarragon, chopped and mixed with hard-boiled eggs, scallions and coriander, bound with a little butter so it holds together. The dough, yeasted or kefir-based, is rolled into a round, the filling piled on one half, and the other half folded over and sealed. Baking sets the crust while the filling steams inside, which intensifies the tarragon aroma. The pie is flipped after baking so both sides are flat.

Variations

A kefir-dough version is softer. Some cooks add a little cheese to the filling.

On the Palate

Where Tarkhunis ghvezeli sits in the Georgian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 8

How it's made

6 steps · 50 min

1
15 min
Make a dough of 500g flour, 200ml warm milk, 1 egg, 30g melted butter, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp yeast and 1 tsp salt; knead, rise 1 hour.
2
8 min
Hard-boil 4 eggs, cool, and chop them.
3
8 min
Finely chop 4 large bunches of fresh tarragon, 1 bunch of scallions and 1 bunch of coriander.
Watch out
Chop a genuinely large volume of tarragon — this filling is mostly herb, and skimping leaves it tasting of egg, not tarragon.
4
6 min
Mix the herbs and eggs with 50g melted butter, salt and pepper.
5
6 min
Roll the dough into a round, pile the filling on one half, fold the other half over, and crimp the edge.
Watch out
Pile the filling on one half and crimp the edge tight — a weak seal splits open and the buttery herb leaks out while baking.
6
12 min
Bake at 200C for 25-30 minutes until golden; rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Archive tool suggestions — not reviewed

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Baking Sheet

Flat rectangular metal pan (sheet pan, half-sheet, quarter-sheet), 33×23 cm to 45×33 cm, with a low rim. The flat surface gives even heat for cookies, biscuits, roasted vegetables, sheet-pan dinners. Heavy aluminum sheets conduct heat fastest; non-stick coatings make cleanup easier but can warp over 200°C; rimmed half-sheet is the modern American restaurant standard.

Techniques

Baking Kneading