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Georgian beetroot pkhali with nuts

Georgian Beet Pkhali with Walnuts

Pkhali is a popular Georgian appetizer. The dish is vivid both in looks and in flavor. Beets, walnuts, garlic, and herbs — all the ingredients pair beautifully, giving the dish a one-of-a-kind taste. This appetizer will dress up any spread.

Anna Slavina

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beet

Garlic

Walnuts (a 200 ml cup)

Fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, dill)

Red wine vinegar

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 16 % 5 g

Fats 52 % 16 g

Carbohydrates 32 % 10 g

197 kcal

GI: 30 / 0 / 70

Cooking method

Step 1:

Rinse the walnuts and dry them on paper towels; you can toast them a little in a skillet to make them more fragrant and tasty. Choose good-quality nuts with no bitterness, since the flavor of the finished dish depends on the nuts. Put the nuts in a blender — you can use a meat grinder instead, but I find a blender more convenient.
Step 2:

Wash the herbs, dry them, chop them, and add them to the nuts; blend, then transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Step 3:

Cook the beet until done. I roasted it in the oven for two hours at 350°F (180°C), but my beet is large — a medium one may take about an hour and a half. Choose a juicy, deeply colored, sweet beet, like mine. Cool it, peel it, and cut it into pieces so it's easy to blend.
Step 4:

Peel the garlic, rinse it, add it to the blender with the beet, and blend.
Step 5:

Add the blended beet and garlic to the bowl with the nuts and herbs, add the wine vinegar, salt, and spices, and mix. Form the mixture into balls, flatten them slightly on top, and garnish with nuts and herbs, or with pomegranate seeds, as you like. Enjoy!

I made pkhali for the first time, and my family and I really loved this appetizer. All the ingredients go well together, creating a spicy, fresh flavor. You can eat pkhali as an appetizer, or serve it alongside main dishes. Pkhali is a completely vegetarian dish, and you can make it during a fast. Pkhali with walnuts and beets is just one version — it's also made with cabbage, spinach, zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, green beans, and other vegetables, using different herbs and spices. The dish is simple and quick to make, uses only easy-to-find ingredients, and the result is amazing. I'll definitely make it again — it's something to impress guests with. Next time I'll try other versions of pkhali, and I'm keeping this recipe in my collection, and I recommend you do the same.