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Phali and eggplant with nuts

Pkhali and Eggplant Rolls with Walnuts

Pkhali is one of the most popular appetizers in Georgian cuisine. These pkhali and walnut-stuffed eggplant rolls come together quickly and easily — even a beginner can manage them. This cold Georgian dish is built around a dressing whose recipe never changes: walnuts, hot red pepper, minced garlic, cilantro, and utsho-suneli (a Georgian spice blend made from blue fenugreek).

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Walnuts

500

Spinach

250

Beets

Carrots

Onion

Dill

Parsley

Fresh cilantro

Celery

Bell peppers

Paprika

Ground coriander

Saffron

Utsho-suneli (blue fenugreek)

Garlic

Chili pepper

Red wine vinegar

Water

200

Pomegranate

Vegetable oil

Salt

1.5

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 15 % 4 g

Fats 54 % 14 g

Carbohydrates 31 % 8 g

167 kcal

GI: 75 / 0 / 25

Cooking method

Step 1:

Boil the beets and carrots. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into even strips about 1/32 inch (0.6–0.8 mm) thick and salt them lightly. Let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
Step 2:

Cut each bell pepper lengthwise into 8 equal pieces. Brush a skillet with vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) and fry the pepper 2–3 minutes per side, until soft.
Step 3:

Finely chop, or run through a meat grinder, the dill, parsley, cilantro, celery, and onion.
Step 4:

Grind the walnuts in a meat grinder or blender.
Step 5:

Grate the boiled carrots and beets, then squeeze out and discard the excess juice.
Step 6:

Wilt the spinach in a skillet with 150–200 ml (about 2/3–3/4 cup) of salted water for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then squeeze the spinach out thoroughly — a colander helps.
Step 7:

Rinse the salt off the eggplant with water and blot dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Brush each slice with vegetable oil and fry in a dry skillet 1–2 minutes per side, until soft.
Step 8:

Put the ground walnuts, cilantro, parsley, dill, celery, onion, and all the spices in a bowl, salt, and mix. Add the wine vinegar and water. Mix thoroughly until smooth.
Step 9:

To the bowl of squeezed spinach, add the prepared walnut mixture in roughly a 3-to-1 ratio — three parts spinach to one part walnut mixture. Mix well and form small balls. Top with pomegranate seeds.
Step 10:

Mix the grated carrots with the walnut mixture in about the same proportion as the spinach. Form the smooth mixture into matching balls.
Step 11:

Make the beet pkhali the same way as the carrot pkhali.
Step 12:

Spread an even layer of the walnut mixture over the fried bell pepper slices.
Step 13:

Lay out the prepared eggplant slices, shape the filling into an oblong, and gently roll them up.
Step 14:

Arrange on a plate. The pkhali are ready.

Boil the beets and carrots. Cut the eggplant lengthwise into even strips about 1/32 inch (0.6–0.8 mm) thick and salt lightly. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Cut each bell pepper lengthwise into 8 equal pieces. Brush a skillet with vegetable oil (1 tablespoon) and fry the pepper 2–3 minutes per side, until soft. Finely chop or grind the dill, parsley, cilantro, celery, and onion. Grind the walnuts in a meat grinder. Grate the boiled carrots and beets, then squeeze out the excess juice. Wilt the spinach in a skillet with 150–200 ml (about 2/3–3/4 cup) of salted water for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then squeeze the spinach out thoroughly — a colander helps. Rinse the salt off the eggplant and blot dry. Brush each slice with vegetable oil and fry in a dry skillet 1–2 minutes per side, until soft. Put the ground walnuts, cilantro, parsley, dill, celery, onion, and all the spices in a bowl, salt, and mix. Add the wine vinegar and water, and mix thoroughly until smooth. Add the walnut mixture to the squeezed spinach in roughly a 3-to-1 ratio — three parts spinach to one part walnut mixture. Mix well and form small balls. Top with pomegranate seeds. Mix the grated carrots with the walnut mixture in about the same proportion, and form into matching balls. Make the beet pkhali the same way as the carrot pkhali. Spread an even layer of the walnut mixture over the fried bell pepper slices. Lay out the eggplant slices, shape the filling into an oblong, and gently roll up. Arrange on a plate. The pkhali are ready.