Kharcho soup is one of the most famous and popular soups in Georgia. Food arose there and has since been considered the national dish of Georgians. It is impossible to mix up kharcho with another first course. This is a thick consistency (especially in comparison with traditional dishes) and a very hearty soup. In different regions it is cooked in its own way, sometimes even with significant deviations from the recipe, but there are certain rules that are followed regardless of which territory the kharcho is prepared in.
This soup appeared at a time when the inhabitants of the Caucasus began to raise livestock and grow crops. Since rice is an indispensable ingredient of food, you can start from the date when this cereal appeared in the Caucasus - 2-3 centuries AD.
There are numerous disputes about the recipe. This also applies to meat base. Some people think that beef can be replaced with lamb or even a “mixture” of different meat. However, the classic version of the soup involves the use of only beef (brisket, shanks or ribs). Using other meat is illiteracy. It was a classic recipe that gave its inventors the energy, strength and vitality that are so necessary for life in the mountains. The inhabitants of the Caucasus respect pork, lamb, chicken, etc. But beef is one of the staple foods.
The fact that there is no exact date for the appearance of the soup is considered by many to be evidence that the kharcho appeared simultaneously with the Georgian nationality, whose dish is by origin.
Kharcho Recipe
A characteristic feature of Georgian cuisine is the presence of tkemali in the recipe - plum sauce. Another required ingredient is grated walnuts at the rate of half a glass for two liters of broth.
Ingredients for a three liter saucepan:
Half a kilogram of beef with bone or 700 grams of ribs with a meat layer;
Three tablespoons of rice (do not use crushed or steamed);
A few large onions;
An almost full glass of walnuts;
150 g of tkemali sauce (it’s unlikely that you can find a classic plum marshmallow, so you can use tkemali sauce, which is sold in stores). If it is not possible to purchase tkemali, use fresh plum puree, pieces of cherry plum, pomegranate juice. Some add tomato paste to the soup. But in this case, the dish cannot be considered a real kharcho. It will be meat soup as close as possible to it.
Suneli hops - 2-3 teaspoons (you can buy a ready-made seasoning, but you can make it yourself).
Salt, garlic, fresh herbs.
Rice must be washed to a transparent state, and left in the water so that it swells. Rinse the meat well in cool water. To remove or not fatty layers depends on preferences. But it is believed that it is a small amount of fat that will make the broth more rich, thicker and richer. It is not worth taking meat that is too fat, because this will prevent the aroma of spices and sauce from opening up.
Over time, get the meat, cool, separate from the bones and cut into small portions. If the broth turned out muddy and with foam, then it needs to be filtered.
Chop the onion (in half rings or small pieces - depending on preference) and fry in vegetable oil. Fry walnuts in a dry frying pan and chop. This can be done with a knife (more preferred) or a blender. Another option is to crush the raw nuts with a rolling pin so that they begin to exude a flavor that will give the soup a highlight.
Boil the meat broth again, add rice and cook for 10 minutes. In the process add a few crushed black pepper peas. Then, in turn, put the rest of the ingredients: fried onions, tkemali sauce, chopped nuts. Salt, add meat, finely chopped garlic and seasoning suneli hops. Cook the soup for another 10 minutes. At this time, you can add other spices - saffron, coriander, red capsicum, black pepper, fenugreek, zira, bay leaf, basil, cilantro.
Turn off the heat and let the dish brew for at least 20 minutes. Pour into plates and add greens - finely chopped parsley, rosemary, cilantro, celery.