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Georgia · Adjara

Iakhni from Kobuleti — Georgian Beef in Walnut Sauce

Make Adjarian iakhni with tender beef, thick walnut-garlic sauce and Imeretian saffron. Serves four; Georgian bread is optional

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A wide view of Kobuleti-style iakhni, tender beef in thick walnut sauce served with Georgian bread.
Yield4 portions
Serving basisOne quarter of the beef and walnut sauce; optional bread excluded
Dish typeAdjarian beef and walnut stew
AllergensContains walnuts and dairy; check the optional bread label
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The dish

About Iakhni from Kobuleti — Georgian Beef in Walnut Sauce

Tender beef in a thick walnut and spice sauce, finished with Georgian Imeretian saffron.

Iakhni is an Adjarian beef dish especially associated with Kobuleti. Regional versions differ in the cut of beef, spice mix and order of cooking, but sources describe beef with onion, walnuts, garlic and saffron. This measured four-serving version braises beef until tender, then coats it in a walnut-garlic sauce.

The sauce gets its body from finely ground walnuts rather than flour or cream. Imeretian saffron, made from dried marigold petals, gives the stew its warm golden color and is distinct from Crocus saffron. Butter-softened onion and a modest mix of coriander, blue fenugreek and pepper round out the sauce.

Let the walnut sauce simmer gently with the beef so it thickens and clings to the pieces. Stir the bottom of the pot now and then, since ground walnuts can settle. Serve the stew hot, with Georgian bread if you like. The bread is optional and is not included in the nutrition estimate.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Iakhni from Kobuleti — Georgian Beef in Walnut Sauce

Beef and broth

  • 800 gbeef chuck for stew, cut into 4 cm pieces; trim only large hard pieces of surface fat
  • 1.5 Lwater, plus up to 300 ml if needed to keep the beef mostly submerged

Onion

  • 200 gyellow onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 40 gunsalted butter

Walnut paste

  • 150 gunsalted English walnuts, pulsed to a fine meal
  • 10 ggarlic (about 3 cloves), peeled

Seasoning

  • 2 gground Imeretian saffron (dried marigold petals; not Crocus saffron)
  • 3 gground coriander (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 2 gground blue fenugreek (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 6 gfine salt, divided
  • 1 gground black pepper (about ½ teaspoon)
  • 0.5 gmild crushed red pepper (about ¼ teaspoon)

To serve

  • 200 gGeorgian bread, sliced, optional; check its label for allergens
Method

Method

  1. Prepare safely. Keep the raw beef separate from ready-to-eat foods. Cut it into even 4 cm pieces. Wash your hands, knife and board after handling the raw meat.

  2. Braise the beef. Put the beef and 1.5 L water in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam. Cover and simmer gently until the beef is fork-tender, adding up to 300 ml hot water if needed to keep it mostly submerged. Check a thick piece with a food thermometer and continue cooking until it has reached at least 71 °C. Reserve 300 ml of the cooking broth, then drain the remaining liquid from the beef.

  3. Soften the onion. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and 1 g of the salt. Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden but not browned. Set half aside for the final addition.

  4. Make the walnut paste. Pulse the walnuts in a small food processor to a fine meal, stopping before they turn oily. Add the peeled garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, black pepper, mild red pepper and 3 g salt. Pulse briefly to combine.

  5. Add the walnut sauce. Gradually whisk 200 ml of the reserved hot broth into the walnut mixture to make a thick, pourable paste. Add it to the pot with the beef and half of the softened onion. Stir gently. Add more reserved broth as needed so the sauce coats the beef without becoming thin.

  6. Simmer and finish. Cover and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring the bottom occasionally, until the walnut sauce thickens and the meat is tender. Dissolve the Imeretian saffron in 2 tablespoons of hot broth. Stir it and the remaining onion into the pot, simmer for 2 minutes, stir in the remaining 2 g salt, then taste; add more only if needed. Remove from the heat.

  7. Serve. Serve hot, with the sliced Georgian bread alongside if desired.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Cut the beef into even 4 cm pieces so they braise at a similar rate.
  • Grind the walnuts finely, but stop before they turn oily. This helps the sauce thicken while keeping it smooth.
  • Keep the stew at a gentle simmer after adding the walnut paste, and stir the pot bottom occasionally so the sauce does not catch.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

Serving. Spoon the beef and thick walnut sauce into warm bowls. Georgian bread is optional and can be served alongside.

Make-ahead. The stew may be prepared up to one day ahead. Cool it promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate at or below 4 °C, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat thoroughly to 74 °C, stirring so the stew heats evenly.

Storage and reheating. Refrigerate cooked leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

Consistency. If the sauce becomes too thick while reheating, stir in a little water or unsalted broth until it is spoonable again.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: One quarter of the beef and walnut sauce; optional bread excluded
  • Calories: About 597 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: About 11 g
  • Protein: About 50 g
  • Fat: About 42 g
  • Fibre: About 3 g
  • Sodium: About 754 mg

Approximate values are calculated for the four-serving recipe using standard composition data for beef chuck, walnuts, yellow onion and garlic, plus an estimate for unsalted butter. The full batch is about 2,387 kcal, 44 g carbohydrate, 200 g protein, 166 g fat, 14 g fibre and 3,017 mg sodium; each total is divided by four and rounded. All 6 g of added salt is counted as retained. Small spice contributions and optional bread are excluded. The beef cut and the amount of fat left in the sauce affect the result.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains walnuts (tree nuts) and dairy from butter. Check the optional Georgian bread label for additional allergens. Keep raw beef separate from ready-to-eat food and wash hands, utensils and work surfaces after contact. Braise the beef until fork-tender and check a thick piece with a food thermometer; continue cooking until it reaches at least 71 °C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

Signs of readiness

Signs of readiness

  • The beef is fork-tender after gentle braising.
  • The walnut sauce is thick enough to cling to the beef, without a separate layer of butter or oil.
  • The stew is hot throughout; reheat leftovers to 74 °C.
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