Georgian buglama with tomatoes in their own juice

4 servings

40 minutes

Buglama is a bright and aromatic dish embodying the spirit of Georgian cuisine. Its roots trace back to the traditions of Eastern slow cooking, where fresh vegetables and meat share flavors and absorb spices. Tender chicken is infused with the juiciness of eggplant, sweet pepper, and spicy chili, while khmeli-suneli adds a unique Georgian touch. Tomatoes in their own juice give the dish a deep sweet-sour note, creating a harmonious balance of flavors. The feature of buglama is its richness and tenderness due to long simmering over low heat. It’s not just food; it’s comfort and hospitality, an ideal treat for friendly gatherings where rich taste and warmth are cherished.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 253.4
• Proteins: 15.3g
• Fats: 15.5g
• Carbohydrates: 13.8g

Ingredients

• Fresh cilantro (coriander): 0.5 bunch
• Chicken breast fillet: 1 pc
• Onion: 1 head
• Eggplants: 1 pc
• Red chili pepper: 1 pc
• Sweet pepper: 1 pc
• Garlic: 2 clove
• Tomatoes in their own juice: 1 jar
• Dill: 0.5 bunch
• Green onions: 1 bunch
• Sunflower oil: 3 tbsp
• Khmeli-suneli: 1 tsp

Cooking steps

1. Cut the chicken fillet into pieces of 3-4 cm. If you want more meat in the dish, you can take the fillet from two small breasts at half a breast per serving. Fry the pieces in a hot pan with high sides until lightly golden without adding oil or salt to prevent them from releasing water and to seal quickly. Place the fried pieces on a plate.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken breast fillet: 1 piece

2. Add coarsely chopped eggplant to the pan and fry it without oil. Place it on a plate.

   Required ingredients:

   • Eggplants: 1 piece

3. Add oil to the pan and lightly fry the diced onion until golden.

   Required ingredients:

   • Onion: 1 head
   • Sunflower oil: 3 tablespoons

4. Add the fried eggplants to the fried onions, mix everything, lightly salt, and simmer for about a minute in the pan.

   Required ingredients:

   • Eggplants: 1 piece
   • Onion: 1 head

5. Then add finely chopped chili pepper, julienned sweet pepper, and coarsely chopped green onion (3 cm long) along with cilantro to the onions and eggplants. Mix everything and fry for another minute.

   Required ingredients:

   • Red chili pepper: 1 piece
   • Sweet pepper: 1 piece
   • Green onions: 1 bunch
   • Fresh cilantro (coriander): 0.5 bunch

6. Cut the tomatoes in their own juice into medium pieces, removing the skin first, and add them to the pan with the vegetables, pouring a little juice from the can of tomatoes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Tomatoes in their own juice: 1 jar

7. After a couple of minutes, add chicken to the vegetables, add khmeli-suneli, season with salt and pepper to taste, cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken breast fillet: 1 piece
   • Khmeli-suneli: 1 teaspoon
   • Sunflower oil: 3 tablespoons

8. We portion it out and generously sprinkle with coarsely chopped greens on top.

   Required ingredients:

   • Fresh cilantro (coriander): 0.5 bunch
   • Dill: 0.5 bunch