Chechen Zhizhig-Galnash
A delicious, hearty national Chechen dish. Zhizhig-galnash means "meat with galushki (dough dumplings)" in Chechen. And that's exactly what it is — a dish of pieces of boiled meat and dough dumplings, served with a sauce made from the broth the meat was cooked in, along with garlic and spices. In its components and method, zhizhig-galnash resembles the Russian dish of chicken soup with homemade noodles. But zhizhig-galnash differs in how it's served, and it's made with various meats: chicken or turkey, beef or pork, even prized varieties of fish.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
Start the dish with the meat. You can use any meat you like. With chicken, zhizhig-galnash cooks faster. Rinse the chicken fillet under running water, cut it into small pieces, put them in a pot, cover with cold water, set over the heat, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, lower the heat to medium, add salt to taste, and cook until done.
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Step 2:
Get the ingredients for the dumplings ready. The dumplings (galushki) for Chechen zhizhig-galnash are made from wheat or corn flour. There's no single set shape for them — every cook has her own, almost unique. In Chechnya the corn-flour dumplings are usually made for a holiday table, and the wheat ones for an everyday meal.
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Step 3:
Make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a deep bowl, add salt, crack in one egg, pour in cold water, and knead an elastic dough.
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Step 4:
Knead the dough by hand; it should turn out firm and stiff.
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Step 5:
Roll the dough out into a sheet about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Cut it into strips about 1¼ inches (3 cm) wide.
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Step 6:
Cut those lengthwise into pieces about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide. Pull their ends in opposite directions so they twist slightly.
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Step 7:
Take the meat out of the broth. Pour half the broth into another container — you'll need it for the sauce. Cook the dumplings in the rest.
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Step 8:
Drop the dumplings into the boiling broth in batches, stirring right away with a spoon so they don't stick together or to the bottom of the pot. Cook the dumplings over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
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Step 9:
Make the sauce. It's very simple. Peel the garlic and cut it up, mash it with salt, and pour in some broth. The sauce is ready; pour it into a small bowl.
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Step 10:
Lift out the dumplings with a slotted spoon, put them in a deep dish, lay the meat on top, and set the bowl of sauce on the dish. Serve the zhizhig-galnash. Enjoy!
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Garlic - 143 kcal/100g
- Salt - 0 kcal/100g
- Water - 0 kcal/100g
- Wheat flour - 325 kcal/100g
- Chicken egg - 80 kcal/100g
- Chicken breast (fillet) - 113 kcal/100g
