Blanched spinach or other vegetables finely chopped and bound with ground walnuts, garlic and vinegar into a dense, savory spread.
Georgian Pkhali is a real, traditional Georgian dish, known as Walnut-Spinach Vegetable Pâté. Blanched spinach or other vegetables finely chopped and bound with ground walnuts, garlic and vinegar into a dense, savory spread.\n\nPkhali is a foundational Georgian appetizer, typically made from a wide variety of vegetables like spinach, beet greens or cabbage, all bound with the country's beloved ground walnut paste, traditionally garnished with pomegranate seeds.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Georgian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 6
Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain, cool and squeeze out as much excess water as possible.
Finely chop the well-drained spinach.
Blend or pound ground walnuts, garlic, vinegar, khmeli suneli, chili flakes and salt into a thick paste.
Mix the walnut paste thoroughly with the chopped spinach and cilantro until evenly combined.
Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Shape into small balls or a mound, garnish generously with pomegranate seeds, and serve cold or at room temperature with bread.
Squeeze the blanched spinach very thoroughly — excess water makes the pkhali loose and difficult to shape into the traditional dense mounds or balls.
Grind the walnuts finely for the smoothest, most cohesive texture.
Let the mixture rest in the fridge before serving, since the flavors develop and meld with a bit of time.
Use beet greens, cabbage or green beans instead of spinach for other classic pkhali variations, each blanched and prepared the same way.
Some households add a bit of ground coriander seed for extra warmth.
Shape into individual small balls for an elegant appetizer platter presentation.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Pkhali is a foundational Georgian appetizer, typically made from a wide variety of vegetables like spinach, beet greens or cabbage, all bound with the country's beloved ground walnut paste, traditionally garnished with pomegranate seeds.
Yes, thaw and squeeze it very thoroughly dry before chopping and mixing, since frozen spinach releases significant water.
The vegetable wasn't drained thoroughly enough — squeeze out as much liquid as possible before combining with the walnut paste.
Spinach, beet greens, cabbage and green beans are all traditional choices, each blanched, drained and combined with the same walnut-garlic paste.
Per serving (120g / 4.2 oz) · 6 servings total
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