Georgian Recipes

Ajarian Chirbuli is a dish from Georgia’s Ajara region (Georgian: აჭარა). Made with eggs and walnuts, it is a popular breakfast meal. Different versions of Chirbuli are made in Samtskhe-Javakheti region (Georgian: სამცხე-ჯავახეთი) and Lazeti (which is now part of Turkey).

Ingredients: 2 juicy tomatoes, 2 onions, 3 eggs, 10 walnuts, 15 grams of fresh green coriander, 15 grams of dill, 10 grams of basil, half tsp of dried coriander, 1 clove of garlic, 1 heaped tsp of red pepper, 1 tsp of cornflour, 70 grams of butter, and salt (amount dependent upon personal preference).

Preparation: Chop the onions and fry in 70 grams of butter on a low temperature for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add 1 tsp of cornflour. Mix with the onions.

Chop the tomatoes and add to the pan of fried onions. Stir and continue to cook on a very low heat for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Grind the walnuts. Crush the garlic. Add 200 ml of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the temperature to low and add the walnuts and garlic to the pan, together with half tsp of dried coriander, 1 heaped tsp of red pepper and salt (amount dependent upon personal preference). Stir thoroughly. Continue to cook on a low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Chop the fresh green coriander, dill and basil and add to the pan. Stir thoroughly and reduce heat to very low.

In a traditional Ajarian Chirbuli, eggs are cooked separately by cracking them and carefully placing them in slightly salty boiling water. The eggs are then served covered with the chirbuli sauce. Nowadays, it is more common for the eggs to be cooked with the chirbuli sauce. We have used this method for this recipe. Carefully crack the eggs and pour onto the chirbuli sauce.

Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. The yolk of the eggs should be runny. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serving: Serve hot.

Enjoy your Ajarian Chirbuli!