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Georgia · Kakheti

Kakhetian Chakapuli — Gurjaani Kid-Goat Variation

Make Kakhetian chakapuli with tender kid goat, sour green plums, white qvevri wine and fresh herbs, served with Georgian bread

Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
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A wide table scene with Kakhetian kid-goat chakapuli, green plums and a wine cup before a vineyard.
Yield6 servings
Serving basisOne bowl of stew and about 50 g Georgian Dedas Puri or Shoti bread per person
DifficultyModerate; even meat pieces and a low, steady simmer help
Dietary classificationContains meat and alcohol-derived wine; bread contains wheat (gluten)
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The dish

About Kakhetian Chakapuli — Gurjaani Kid-Goat Variation

Chakapuli is a Georgian spring stew commonly made with lamb or veal, sour green plums or tkemali, white wine and abundant fresh herbs, especially tarragon. Kakhetian versions are associated with white qvevri wine and bread baked in a tone oven. Kid goat is also used for chakapuli in the broader Kakheti area.

Gurjaani lies within Kakheti, and this recipe uses kid goat in a measured home-style version of the regional chakapuli family. It differs from lamb and veal versions by its choice of meat, not by a claim of separate local history.

Use firm green sour cherry plums when available. Unsweetened green tkemali sauce is a practical alternative, though it can be saltier and more concentrated. The broth should stay light and tangy rather than thick or browned. A slow covered simmer softens the shoulder, while the fresh herbs go in near the end to retain their aroma.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Stew

  • 1,200 gboneless kid-goat shoulder, hard sinew trimmed and cut into even 4 cm pieces
  • 250 gspring onions, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 300 gfirm green sour cherry plums, washed, halved and pitted; or 150 ml unsweetened green tkemali sauce
  • 250 mldry Kakhetian white qvevri wine, labelled for cooking
  • 350 mlunsalted water
  • 18 ggarlic, thinly sliced
  • 40 gfresh tarragon leaves, tough stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
  • 30 gfresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 25 gflat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • 15 gfresh dill, roughly chopped
  • 80 gfresh sorrel, stems trimmed and leaves roughly chopped
  • 8 gfresh mint, roughly chopped
  • 60 gmild green pepper, deseeded if desired and sliced

Seasoning and serving

  • 8 gfine salt, use less at first if the tkemali is salted
  • 1 gfreshly ground black pepper
  • 300 gGeorgian Dedas Puri or Shoti bread, warmed; about 50 g per serving
Method

Method

  1. Prepare the meat and produce. Keep the goat refrigerated at 4°C or below until you are ready to cook. Trim hard sinew and cut the shoulder into even 4 cm pieces. Wash the produce under running water, halve and pit the plums, and prepare the herbs and vegetables. Wash hands, tools and the board after handling raw meat.

  2. Layer the stew. In a heavy lidded pot, layer half the goat with half the spring onions, garlic, green pepper and some of the herbs; repeat with the remaining ingredients. Add the plums, wine and water. Cover and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Do not leave the meat-and-wine mixture at room temperature before cooking.

  3. Simmer until tender. Reduce the heat so the stew barely simmers. Cook covered for about 100 minutes, stirring gently once or twice. If using tkemali instead of fresh plums, stir it in after about 60 minutes. During the final 10 minutes, add the tarragon, sorrel, mint and remaining tender herbs. The goat should be fork-tender and the broth aromatic; add a little hot water only if the liquid falls below the meat.

  4. Check and serve. Check a thick piece with a clean thermometer; it must reach at least 62.8°C (145°F). Since the stew is cooked until fork-tender, it should exceed that temperature well before it is ready. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes. Warm the bread and serve the stew hot.

  5. Store leftovers safely. Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4°C or below. Use within 3–4 days and reheat to 73.9°C (165°F) throughout.

Full recipe

Full recipe

A Georgian spring stew of tender kid goat, sour green cherry plums, dry Kakhetian white qvevri wine and a generous mix of fresh herbs. This home-style Kakhetian version is associated with Gurjaani but is not presented as an exclusive local specialty.

Excerpt

Excerpt

Boneless kid-goat shoulder simmers with green sour plums, white wine, spring onions and fresh herbs. Tarragon leads the bright, tart broth; warm Shoti bread is served alongside.

Practical guidance

Success points

  • Cut the boneless shoulder into even 4 cm pieces so it softens at a similar rate.
  • Keep the pot at a bare simmer; a hard boil can break up the meat and reduce the liquid too quickly.
  • Add tkemali later than fresh plums, and taste before adding more salt because prepared sauce may already be salty.
  • Add the tender herbs during the final 10 minutes for a clear, fresh aroma.
Practical guidance

Practical guidance

Choose the fruit. Fresh firm green sour cherry plums give a lighter, fruitier tartness. Unsweetened green tkemali works when fresh fruit is unavailable; check the label for salt and other ingredients and add it partway through cooking so the acidity does not dominate from the start.

Keep the simmer gentle. Goat shoulder needs time to become tender. Keep the lid on and the liquid at a quiet simmer, checking only once or twice. If the pot becomes dry before the meat softens, add a small splash of hot water.

Handle wine and leftovers carefully. Use a dry wine labelled for cooking and check for sulfites. Much of the alcohol cooks off, but the finished dish is not guaranteed alcohol-free. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers; do not leave the full pot to cool on the counter.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

  • Serving size: One-sixth of the stew, plus about 50 g bread
  • Energy: About 470 kcal
  • Carbohydrate: About 42 g
  • Protein: About 45 g
  • Fat: About 9 g
  • Fibre: About 5 g
  • Sodium: About 850 mg

These are provisional estimates for one-sixth of the recipe. They include all 8 g salt and 50 g bread per serving and assume fresh plums and unsalted water. Goat cut, wine, bread and tkemali labels, as well as the cooked yield, can change the values.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

The bread contains wheat (gluten). Wine may contain sulfites; check the wine and prepared tkemali labels for declared allergens and cross-contact warnings. This dish contains meat and alcohol-derived ingredients and is unsuitable for people avoiding either. Keep raw goat refrigerated at 4°C or below and separate from ready-to-eat food. Cook until tender and verify at least 62.8°C (145°F) in a thick piece with a clean thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat throughout to 73.9°C (165°F).

To finish

To finish

  • Serve the stew hot with warmed Dedas Puri or Shoti bread for the tart, herb-scented broth.
  • Add the delicate herbs near the end so their fresh fragrance remains distinct from the slow-cooked goat and plums.
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