Eggplant and Walnut Spread Recipe
The idea for this eggplant and walnut spread has been lingering in my mind for quite some time. Sprinkling chopped walnuts over eggplant salads is something I often do, but I realized that eggplant and walnuts are a perfect match, complementing each other wonderfully, thanks to a different recipe.
The recipe that brought this revelation to me was the Georgian dish nigvziani badrijani. I first tried making it at home and loved it. Later, I saw it at a Georgian restaurant and immediately wanted to taste it. Interestingly, no matter how hard you try to make foreign recipes authentic at home, the taste can be different.
This could be due to the difficulty of finding original ingredients, but I believe there's also a difference in taste between a dish made by someone who has been making it their whole life and someone trying it for the first time. Not everything in the kitchen has a concrete and scientific explanation. Sometimes, it's comforting to embrace these unscientific explanations. At this point, I choose this ease.
To get to the point, the version I had at the restaurant was much more delicious than the one I made at home. However, both versions had the commonality of the festival of flavors that eggplant and walnuts create together. Slicing and frying the eggplants individually and then rolling them up is a time-consuming process. To save time and reduce the dish's calorie content, I thought it would be a good idea to roast the eggplants and incorporate them into the walnut spread. The result was even better than I expected. Especially if you have sourdough bread on the side, you won't even realize how quickly it disappears. In this regard, it's a somewhat dangerous recipe. Take this as a warning.
Since we spread oil and salt over the eggplants before roasting, there's no need to add extra oil and salt during the spread-making process. However, you can taste it and add more if you find it necessary.
Enjoy the recipe...
Eggplant and Walnut Spread Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant,
- 1 cup of walnuts,
- 1 clove of garlic,
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil,
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar,
- 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper,
- 1/8 teaspoon of cumin,
- 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg,
- Salt to taste.
Preparation
- Peel and dice the eggplant, then place it in a bowl,
- Add olive oil and salt, and mix well,
- Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 210°C (410°F) until golden brown in spots.,
- Place the roasted eggplant, walnuts, garlic, vinegar, and spices in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth,
- Transfer the mixture to a serving dish and smooth the top,
- If desired, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
Bon appétit!