Beef khashlama is an amazingly fragrant dish, which is the hallmark of Caucasian craftswomen. Spicy herbs, juicy slices of vegetables, meat, hearty sauce - it is perfect both in hot and cold form. We offer simple and tasty recipes for this wonderful dish.

A simple beef khashlama recipe

Khashlam is difficult to call the first or second dish - this is something in between. They can replace a full two-course dinner, feed the guests - no one will remain hungry. The correct proportions, well-seasoned cooking time, a set of spices will turn the dish into a real masterpiece. How to cook khashlama tasty and not let vegetables “fall apart”?

We will need:

  • beef brisket - 1 kg;
  • ripe tomatoes - 8 pcs.;
  • onions - 6 pcs.;
  • bell pepper - 5 pcs.;
  • head of garlic;
  • parsley, basil, cilantro - a large bunch;
  • quince - 2 pcs.;
  • glass of light beer.

We cut the meat into large pieces the size of a matchbox. We chop the tomatoes with large rings with a very sharp knife (juice should never leak out!). Cut the pepper into thick straws, and the onion into half rings. We cut a bunch of greens as small as possible. Quince is cut into large segments, or divide into 2-3 parts, if it is not large.

In a cauldron or stewpan with a thick bottom, lay in layers: tomatoes, onions, peppers, herbs, meat, garlic, quince. Repeat the layers 2-3 times. Add a glass of beer. We bring everything to a boil, and now we reduce the fire to the weakest and simmer for 1, 5 - 2 hours.

In the process of cooking the dish exudes magical aromas, but in any case it is impossible to interfere with the khashlama: all the relish of this dish will disappear. Willingness is easily determined by the consistency of vegetables and meat - they literally fall apart in the mouth, although each vegetable remains resilient.

Khashlama, surprisingly, sounds a wonderful dish for New Year's Eve: at this time of the year we manage to miss the vegetables, and it comes in handy. Or you can cook it the next day, when after fatty mayonnaise salads you really want a hearty, but at the same time light dish.

With eggplant

Khashlama in the Caucasus is cooked with various seasonal vegetables, but very often eggplants are placed in it, which add spice and bitterness, which decorate the dish very much. This vegetable is fleshy, holds its shape well, and emits a lot of juice, where meat is ideally stewed.

 

It is better to take young eggplants: it is important to hold the ripe fruits with yellow seeds in salt water and peel them. Better yet, clean them, freeing them from seeds. You can add eggplant to any layer, but often they are placed either on the bottom of the cauldron, or immediately on the tomatoes. The number of eggplant layers is 2. Do not forget: vegetables should be cut large, so they better retain their structure. Ready khashlama with eggplant is served with yogurt, katyk, or any other sour-milk product. Even ordinary sour cream is well suited.

Armenian with wine

Armenian khashlama differs from other types in that lamb and beef are most often used for its preparation, and pieces on the bone are required. It can be, for example, ribs. The main requirement for meat is exceptional freshness, and the animal must be young.

In Armenia, they rarely add potatoes, but very often they put mushrooms, beans (either red or green pods), and culinary experts never stew meat with vegetables in beer, but add a glass of red dry wine: it gives extra acidity, which makes the dish naughty. In general, you can adhere to the classic recipe, at your discretion, changing the proportions. Serve Armenian khashlama with pita bread, and fresh herbs, which are generously laid out in bunches on the table.

Cilantro, basil, parsley - three obligatory seasonings for hashloma; you can add tarragon, savory, lemon balm, but dill is not worth adding - in the Caucasus this spice is used extremely rarely.

In Georgian

One of the best is the Georgian Khashlama recipe, and the dish from Kakheti is particularly famous - they learned how to cook it so that the dish can be eaten with fingers!

We prepare the dish, following the advice of the best Georgian cooks:

  1. Meat - it’s better to cut the veal brisket into large pieces.
  2. Fill with water so that it only slightly covers the meat.
  3. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn off to a minimum.
  4. To the meat we add bay leaf, allspice peas, whole unpeeled onion.
  5. Stew meat for 3 hours until it acquires a melting consistency.
  6. We chop the onion into very thin half rings.
  7. Pickle in a weak solution of vinegar for 10-15 minutes.
  8. Finely chop the cilantro.
  9. Grind the garlic with a knife.
  10. Capsicum without seeds is cut into rings.
  11. Cut the finished meat into pieces, sprinkle with herbs, pepper, season with adjika.
  12. Put onion rings on top.

Such meat is extremely tender, resembling a quality stew. It is eaten with red wine, pomegranate seeds, and served as a cold snack on holidays.

With potatoes

Beef khashlama with potatoes is not always prepared: potatoes are not an obligatory ingredient for this dish. Although recently they have been laying it more and more often: it gives satiety, gives the desired density. For cooking, you can use the whole tubers, if they are not large, or cut large into 2-3 parts. For a large pot, we need 6-8 small potatoes.

We cook khashlama according to any recipe that we liked, we lay the potatoes in a separate layer on top of the meat. Stew until ready for 2 hours, serve the dish, sprinkled with plenty of herbs.

The best grade for potato khashlama is white; red varieties boil worse.

Caucasian

For khashlama in the Caucasian way we use meat on the bones with small streaks of fat. They often use lamb ribs. But you can choose any other pieces at your discretion.

Cooking step by step:

  1. In fat tail fat, fry the meat over high heat until a golden crust appears.
  2. We clean the onion, cut it with feathers.
  3. We spread the bell pepper on the meat (preferably red).
  4. Add ripe tomatoes.
  5. We put potatoes on request.
  6. Flavor with spices - hops-suneli, paprika, hot pepper.
  7. Fill with water (approximately 250 ml).
  8. Salt to taste.

Serve seasoning with cilantro, basil, crushed garlic.

In a cauldron at the stake

Khashlama is often cooked over an open fire: vegetables are saturated with the scent of a fire, and acquire a delicious smoked smack. How to prepare khashlama at the stake?

A similar recipe:lamb khashlama

  1. We cut meat in large pieces.
  2. Fry at the bottom of a cauldron over high heat.
  3. We put on the meat vegetables, cut into large pieces.
  4. Repeat the layers.
  5. Fill everything with water, beer.
  6. The fire is slightly extinguished, so that the fire is not strong.
  7. Close the cauldron with a lid.
  8. Stew until cooked for 50-60 minutes.

Meat over an open fire is always a great gourmet celebration. But if you cook hashlama in this way, I’m sure you will often delight your family and guests with this hearty, fragrant summer dish.

How to cook in a slow cooker?

Cooking khashlama in a slow cooker is very simple: it is enough to lay meat, vegetables in layers on the bottom of the multi-bowl previously greased with vegetable oil. They stew vegetables and meat in the "languishing" or "stewing" mode, and the most delicious dish is obtained in a multi-pressure cooker: under pressure, the meat cooks faster and turns out soft, falling apart into separate fibers.

Khashlama vegetables can be prepared in advance: cut into large pieces, put into packets and freeze.

 

Khashlama is cooked differently everywhere. Somewhere they add a little more water, wine, broth, somewhere they prefer to do without liquid at all, and vegetables and meat are boiled in their own juice. You are free to cook at your discretion, but be sure to use the freshest meat. And then the dish will never disappoint you!

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