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.

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:
Translation table of volumetric measures
Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe
By weight of the composition:
Proteins 32 % 13 g
Fats 5 % 2 g
Carbohydrates 63 % 26 g
168 kcal
GI: 4 / 0 / 96

Cooking method

  1. Step 1:

    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.

  2. Step 2:

    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.

  3. Step 3:

    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.

  4. Step 4:

    Step 4

    Knead the dough by hand; it should turn out firm and stiff.

  5. Step 5:

    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.

  6. Step 6:

    Step 6

    Cut those lengthwise into pieces about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide. Pull their ends in opposite directions so they twist slightly.

  7. Step 7:

    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.

  8. Step 8:

    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.

  9. Step 9:

    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.

  10. Step 10:

    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

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