Pkhali
Pkhali isn't a single recipe but a technique applied to dozens of different vegetables — spinach, beets, cabbage, eggplant, green beans — all turned into similar pastes, bound with ground walnuts. At a traditional Georgian feast, the supra, several kinds of pkhali are usually served at once, arranged on small plates, each a different color depending on the vegetable, as part of the cold appetizer spread that opens the meal. The step easiest to get wrong is squeezing the vegetables: if too much water remains in the blanched leaves, the paste won't bind and stays watery instead of compact and creamy. Ground walnuts, present in nearly every version of pkhali, are the universal binder of Georgian cuisine — the same technique shows up in satsivi and other sauces, proof of how central the walnut is to the country's culinary identity.
The spinach is squeezed completely dry after blanching
Without this step, the paste stays watery and won't hold together
Walnut paste is the binder, not eggs or cream
Ground walnuts with garlic and vinegar give the structure, not just flavor
A pinch of Imeretian marigold for color
A touch of warm yellow typical of Georgian cooking, not for intense flavor
Pomegranate seeds scattered on top, when serving
Add a sweet-tart pop of texture that contrasts with the creamy paste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500g fresh spinach
- 150g walnuts
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground blue fenugreek (utskho-suneli) or khmeli-suneli
- A pinch of ground Imeretian marigold (optional, for color)
- Salt, to taste
- Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
How to make it
- 1BLANCH THE SPINACH: boil the spinach for a few minutes in boiling water, drain it, and run it under cold water.
- 2SQUEEZE IT DRY: squeeze the spinach firmly by hand until all the water comes out, then chop it finely.
- 3MAKE THE WALNUT PASTE: grind the walnuts, garlic, onion, vinegar, coriander, fenugreek and marigold into a coarse paste, in a food processor or mortar.
- 4COMBINE: mix the walnut paste thoroughly with the chopped spinach, season with salt to taste.
- 5SHAPE IT: form the mixture into small balls or a flattened mound on a plate.
- 6CHILL: refrigerate at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
- 7SERVE: garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve cold, as an appetizer, alongside bread.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
