CHICKEN TABAKA

CHICKEN TABAKA

Chicken Tabaka is a popular dish in western Georgia. Crispy on the outside and soft inside.
Chicken tabaka served with Garlic sauce and vegetables (optional)

For Chicken Tabaka
Ingredients
1 whole medium size Chicken
2 tbsp Melted  Butter / Oil
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper

Method
Cut the chicken from the middle of the breastbone, but do not completely separate the chicken into two halves. Rub oil or butter and salt on to both sides of the chicken. Flatten the chicken out and add to a pan of hot oil and press it down. Sprinkle the chicken with red pepper and salt. Use a pestle or any suitable heavy object to keep the chicken flat so that it cooks evenly. Partly cover and fry both sides of the chicken on a medium heat till brown in colour.
When the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and remove the chicken from the pan.

For the Garlic sauce with Vegetables
Ingredients
2 cups vegetables cut into thick strips and semi boiled ( carrot, potato, peas, beans, cauliflower)
1 Onion cubed
10 Garlic cloves
1/2 tsp of  Coriander seeds
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp crushed Pepper
Remaining fat in the Chicken pan

Method
Use the same pan where the chicken was fried.
Crush the garlic cloves with half tsp of dried coriander together. Add pepper. Mix with the crushed garlic and coriander. Add the ingredients in the pan. Sauté it for 1 minutes. Add the onions and salt. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the vegetables. Add 1/2 cup water. Simmer the vegetables till tender and some sauce remaining in the pan.

For serving
Take a plate add the vegetables at the base. Place the chicken on the vegetables and add the remaining sauce and serve it hot.

PS - Add oil and butter together while cooking the chicken to get brown colour.. Otherwise if only butter  is used then the chicken skin tends to get burnt...