Satsivi: Georgian Chicken with Walnut Sauce

4 min readJan 2, 2016

Happy New Year, my dear readers! Want to start eating healthy after holidays? I have my mother’s speciality for you today. Meet Satsivi: Georgian Chicken with Walnut Sauce. My mom is not Georgian, but she has mastered this dish to perfection. Satsivi was my favorite savory dish, although I was quite a picky eater as a child. It’s well-loved on the post-Soviet space as it’s delicious, easy and healthy. It’s one of many pearls of Georgian cuisine, which includes Eggplant Rolls with Walnuts and Tkemali Sauce. I gave an even more healthy spin to this dish so that you can have it for dinner without worrying about the calories. We’ve all been there: holidays, a lot of unhealthy food, feeling guilty about eating it… For those of you who put clean eating in your New Year’s resolutions, here are the principles you might want to comply with:

Eating clean is not a diet but rather a healthy lifestyle. Include more whole food in your diet and cut processed food. Drink more water, less alcohol and sweet soft drinks. Get enough sleep and exercise. Be mindful about what you eat. These are easy but very powerful tips. It’s still OK to eat a piece of cake from time to time and it shouldn’t make you feel guilty. Life is about balance and healthy eating is no exception. Eat reasonable portions and don’t have dinner at 3 am. It can’t go wrong if you use common sense.
Don’t avoid salt, seasoning, fat, protein and carbs. They will make you feel full longer and help to built your muscles and regenerate your skin. Avocado, salmon, nuts, spices, vegetable oil and butter are actually good for you! The most important thing is moderation.
Cook at home as often as possible. It’s the best thing you can do to yourself, as you completely control what you eat. Buy fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, fish, poultry, meat, whole grains and other food that hasn’t been processed. It’s OK to eat lightly processed food like pasta, cheese or oil. Remember that the main rule is moderation.
It takes time to switch your lifestyle and be mindful about what you eat. I don’t say it’s easy but it’s definitely possible for everyone to do. And when to begin if not in January?

Start with this healthy and wholesome dinner recipe of a famous Georgian chicken with walnuts (satsivi). It’s a perfect comfort food that will make you warm and cozy on cold winter evenings. It takes just 20 minutes to make it if you’ve made chicken stock in advance!

Ingredients

300 grams or 10 oz brown or wild rice
1 cup walnuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 chicken breasts, boiled and diced
1 teaspoon khmeli suneli seasoning (see the recipe in my post
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon freshly chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh ground turmeric
3 cloves, ground
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 threads saffron
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt
200 ml or 1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons tahini paste (optional)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
300 grams or 10 oz kale

Instructions

Boil rice according to instructions on the package. Drain.
In the meantime, ground walnuts using a food processor or an immersion blender. I use Philips Avance blender.
Add minced garlic, khmeli suneli, tarragon, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, saffron, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Pour about 1/4 cup chicken broth, tahini paste (optional) and white wine vinegar and mix well.
In a pot, heat the remaining chicken broth over medium heat and gradually add the walnut mixture once the broth is warm, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, add diced chicken breasts and cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, roughly chop kale and sprinkle with 1–2 pinches of salt. Knead kale for a minute until it’s soft and dark.
Serve satsivi over layers of kale and rice and season to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding more chicken broth if it’s too thick or a bit of flour (start with 1 teaspoon) if it’s too liquid.

http://happykitchen.rocks/satsivi-georgian-walnut-chicken/