Chef-tested recipe
Adjarian eggs poached in a buttery tomato-walnut sauce with garlic, herbs, and Georgian spices
Chirbuli comes from Adjara on Georgia’s Black Sea coast. Eggs are set in a buttery tomato sauce enriched with walnuts, garlic, coriander, dill, basil, and red pepper. The walnuts and generous herbs distinguish it from other tomato-and-egg breakfasts. Older methods sometimes poach the eggs separately and spoon the sauce over them, while the modern one-pan method cooks the eggs directly in the sauce. A small amount of cornflour traditionally helps bind very juicy tomatoes; the quantity here adds little carbohydrate and is retained for authenticity. Chirbuli is normally eaten with bread, but the pan itself is naturally low carb. Cucumber, matsoni, and fresh herbs provide the cool contrast without diluting its Adjarian identity.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 30 mins
- Cook Time
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Cuisine
- Georgian — Adjara
- Course
- Breakfast and brunch
- Cooking Method
- One-pan simmering and egg poaching
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Best Served With
- Plain matsoni Fresh cucumber Tarragon leaves Fresh basil Unsweetened Georgian black tea
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide lidded skilletpaid link
- Food processorpaid link
- Mixing bowlpaid link
- Wooden spoonpaid link
- Broad spatulapaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
- Measuring jugpaid link
- Serving bowlspaid link
Ingredients
For the chirbuli
- Large eggs: 12 (approximately 600 g without shells)
- Ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped: 1.1 kg
- Yellow onions, finely chopped: 350 g
- Walnut kernels, coarsely groundpaid link: 240 g
- Unsalted butter: 120 g
- Garlic, crushed: 30 g
- Cold water: 300 ml
- Cornflourpaid link: 12 g
- Fresh coriander leaves and tender stems, chopped: 60 g
- Fresh dill, chopped: 40 g
- Fresh basil, chopped: 40 g
- Ground coriander: 5 g
- Ground blue fenugreek, utskho suneli: 4 g
- Georgian red pepper or mild chilli flakes: 6 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 10 g
For low-carb serving
- Plain full-fat matsoni or yoghurt: 300 g
- Cucumber, sliced: 400 g
- Fresh tarragon and basil leaves: 40 g
Preparation Overview
Peel and chop the tomatoes, grind the walnuts coarsely rather than into paste, and chop the herbs in generous quantities. Mix the cornflour with 30 ml of the cold water before it reaches the pan. Use a broad lidded skillet with enough surface area for 12 eggs, or divide the recipe evenly between two pans.
Method
Brown the onions gently. Melt the butter in a wide lidded skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until soft and golden.
Add the cornflour. Stir the cornflour slurry into the onions and cook for 30 seconds without browning it.
Reduce the tomatoes. Add the chopped tomatoes and half the salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and slightly reduced.
Make the walnut mixture. Combine the walnuts, garlic, remaining water, ground coriander, blue fenugreek, and red pepper.
Enrich the sauce. Stir the walnut mixture into the tomatoes and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce becomes glossy and lightly thickened.
Add the herbs. Fold in two-thirds of the coriander, dill, and basil, reserving the rest for the finish.
Form the hollows. Taste and add the remaining salt as needed, then make 12 shallow indentations across the sauce.
Add and poach the eggs. Crack an egg into each hollow, cover, and cook over very low heat for 4 to 7 minutes until the whites set and the yolks remain soft.
Finish and serve. Remove from the heat, scatter with the reserved herbs, and serve immediately with matsoni, cucumber, tarragon, and basil.
Beginner Technique Notes
Coarsely grind walnuts with short pulses; a smooth paste makes the sauce heavy and muddy.
Cook the onions slowly in butter so they sweeten without scorching.
The sauce should barely simmer when the eggs are added or their whites will break apart.
Use two pans rather than crowding the eggs if the skillet is smaller than 32 cm.
Remove the pan while the yolks are slightly softer than desired because residual heat continues cooking them.
Tips and Variations
For the older Adjarian presentation, poach the eggs separately in salted water and spoon the chirbuli sauce over them.
Regular fenugreek is much stronger than blue fenugreek; omit it rather than substituting the same quantity.
Use canned whole tomatoes outside tomato season and simmer until their extra liquid reduces.
Sunflower oil can replace butter for a dairy-free variation, although butter is characteristic in Adjara.
Do not remove the walnuts unless required for allergy; they are the defining difference between chirbuli and shakshuka.
Serving Ideas
- Bring the skillet directly to the table and give each diner two eggs with plenty of tomato-walnut sauce. Serve matsoni and cucumber in cool bowls, with whole herb sprigs for nibbling. Bread is customary, but the walnut-rich sauce and yoghurt make the meal filling without it.
Storage
Chirbuli is best immediately after the eggs set. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for up to 2 days and reheat covered until 74°C; the yolks will become firm. For better make-ahead results, refrigerate the sauce without eggs for up to 3 days or freeze it for 1 month, then reheat and add fresh eggs.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains egg, walnut, and milk. Cornflour is naturally gluten-free but may be processed near wheat; use a certified product if required. Matsoni or yoghurt adds milk and should be served separately for guests avoiding dairy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes chirbuli different from shakshuka?
Walnuts, butter, and generous Georgian herbs give chirbuli its distinctive body and flavour.
Is chirbuli always made with poached eggs?
Whole eggs are common, but some regional and household versions scramble the eggs into the sauce.
Can I omit the cornflour?
Yes if the tomatoes reduce to a naturally thick sauce, although a small amount is traditional in many recipes.
What is blue fenugreek?
Utskho suneli is a mild Georgian spice with a nutty, hay-like aroma and is gentler than common fenugreek.
Can the sauce be made ahead?
Yes. Make and refrigerate the sauce, then reheat it gently and poach fresh eggs just before serving.
