Chakhragina - Beetroot Leaf Filled Khachapuri Recipe
Khachapuri is undoubtedly one of the most famous dishes of Georgian cuisine. When it comes to Khachapuri, many people think of open pita with cheese and an egg on it. But actually there is not a single type of khachapuri and there are many different versions and recipes of khachapuri like pide in Turkish cuisine. Similar to our stuffed bread, this type of khachapuri is chakhragina made in Ossetia. It also has different varieties. For example, after the khachapuri is cooked in a pan, it can be sprinkled with cheese and even sometimes tomato slices can be put on and than it's baked in the oven. That way it looks like a pizza filled with beet leaves and cheese inside. I didn't go that far in order not to increase the calories even more, but if you are young and healthy, you can try it in that way.
This closed type of khachapuri is also prepared with yeast dough, just like the khachapuri recipe we know. Beet leaves and Ossetian or Imereti cheese are used for the filling. Since it was not possible for me to find both cheese, I used a mixture of feta cheese and mozzarella cheese in line with the advice I received from a Georgian person.
Is Beet Leaf Cooked?
Beet leaves are used raw in khachapuri, only by squeezing the juice. When it is chopped and squeezed, it becomes soft as if it is cooked. You don't have to throw away the juice you squeeze. You can drink it immediately and without missing the vitamin, add it to soups or feed your flowers if you don't want to consume it yourself. If the beet leaf is not something you use a lot, I am sure that a new ingredient will enter your life with the beet leaf khachapuri recipe. Because in my opinion, it is the most delicious of green leaf vegetables. If you haven't tried it before, I recommend you try the beet leaf dish with bulgur.
A salad with tomatoes and ayran or turnip juice go best with khachapurine. In fact, according to me, turnip juice is the most compatible, but since I know that there are many people who do not like turnip juice, I could not pass without sharing the ayran alternative.
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
For dough;
- 1 cup of warm milk,
- 1 cup of warm water,
- 1 egg,
- 2 teaspoons of instant yeast,
- 1 tablespoon of sugar,
- 1 teaspoon salt,
- 3 cups of flour.
For the filling;
- 200 g of feta cheese,
- 200 g grated mozzarella/cheddar cheese,
- 1 kg of beet leaves.
For topping:
- Butter.
Preparation
- For the dough Mix milk, water, sugar and yeast in a deep bowl,
- Add the flour little by little and start mixing,
- Add salt in half of the flour and mix,
- Add the remaining flour little by little and knead until you get a soft dough that does not stick to the hand,
- Cover it and let it rest for 30-45 minutes, until it has more than doubled,
- For the filling, separate the thick veins of the beet leaves and finely chop the leaves,
- Crush the leaves by squeezing them with your hands and strain the water that comes out,
- Mix crushed beet leaves, feta cheese and grated mozzarella cheese in a bowl (you can add salt if your cheeses is not salty enough),
- Knead the dough again and divide it into 8 pieces,
- On the floured counter roll one of the pieces to the width of a dessert plate with a rolling pin,
- Spread one-eighth of the filling in the middle, leaving a gap at the edges,
- Fold the edges in the middle, meet them in the middle and tighten them together,
- With the rolling pin, roll it out to the width of a serving plate and cook it in a suitably sized, non-stick pan both sides,
- As soon as you take it out of the pan, apply butter on both sides,
- Roll and cook the other pieces in the same way.
Bon Appetit...