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Ostri
Ostri: spicy Tbilisi tavern beef stew in tomato, garlic and chilli
Ostri is a dish of the old Tbilisi duqani, the cellar taverns of Sololaki and the sulphur-bath district, where it is served in small clay bowls with bread and a glass of something red: beef cut small, browned and simmered with onion, tomato, a little pickled cucumber and plenty of garlic and hot pepper until thick and glossy. It should be fiery, sour and rich all at once. A common mistake is crowding the pan when browning, which makes the beef stew in grey juices instead of searing. Chef's tip: add the garlic and herbs only in the final minutes, so the stew finishes with a fresh, sharp heat.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the stew
- 1 ½ lb beef chuckcut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 onionssliced
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 14 oz chopped tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
- 2 pickled cucumbersdiced
- 1 fresh red chillifinely chopped
- 1 tsp khmeli-suneli
- 1 tsp hot paprika
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- ⅔ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pat 1 ½ lb beef chuck dry and season with 1 tsp salt. Heat 2 tbsp of 2 ⅛ tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy pot over a high heat and brown the beef in 2 batches, 4–5 minutes each, until deep brown on all sides. Common mistake: adding it all at once; it stews instead of browning.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium, add the rest of ⅞ tbsp sunflower oil and 2 onions and fry for 6 minutes until soft.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 3 tbsp tomato purée, 1 tsp hot paprika and 1 tsp khmeli-suneli for 1 minute, then add 14 oz chopped tomatoes and 1 ¼ cups hot water. Return the beef.
1 minStep 4: Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender when pressed with a spoon.
60 minStep 5: Add 2 pickled cucumbers and 1 fresh red chilli and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
10 minStep 6: Stir in 5 cloves garlic and ⅔ oz fresh coriander, cook for 1 minute and serve hot.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ostri take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 85 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomato purée?
- Ketchup, same amount (sweeter).
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