Spinach Pkhali Recipe
Pkhali is one of the most loved and famous dishes of Georgian cuisine. Like many Georgian dishes, it is a delicious appetizer with lots of walnuts, it is vegan and it has different varieties. The most well-known varieties are spinach, beetroot and pumpkin. Today I wanted to share the spinach version. When I have the opportunity, I will share the recipes of others in the future.
If you like çerkez tavuğu, I'm sure you'll like pkhali too. Of course, their flavors are different, but the combination of garlic and walnuts, with its granular consistency, somehow reminds me of it. If you have tried ngzvziani badrijani before, you may know the same consistency with the same combination of garlic and walnuts.
I made a few minor changes in the Pkhali recipe, out of my control. First of all, pkhali is traditionally made by grinding it in a meat grinder. I used a food processor by modernizing this method. Again traditionally, spinach is boiled and drained. I roasted it without oil because I found it more practical. As a result, I was left with dehydrated and cooked spinach that I should have had. Nothing in itself has changed.
Finally, I had to change the spices used traditionally. Two different spices used in Pkhali are; blue fenugreek and marigold powder. It is not possible for me to find both. But even if I can find them, I cannot use them in another recipe. As such, it would be a waste to buy them just for one recipe. So I used fenugreek powder instead of blue fenugreek and did not use marigold powder eat all. If you can find them, you can use the same amount of blue fenugreek instead of fenugreek powder, and you can use an additional 1/4 teaspoon of marigold powder.
Enjoy the recipe...
Spinach Pkhali Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts,
- 100 g of spinach,
- 1 clove of garlic,
- A pinch of parsley,
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika,
- 1/4 teaspoon of fenugreek powder,
- 3 tablespoons of vinegar,
- 1 pinch finely chopped fresh coriander or 1 teaspoon dried coriander,
- Salt,
- 1/4 onion,
- Pomegranate seeds for serving.
Preparation
- Take the spinach in a non-stick pan and cook it on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it releases its juice and the juice is fully evaporated,
- Take walnuts, garlic, parsley, chili peppers, fenugreek powder, vinegar, coriander, salt and spinach into the food processor and grind until it reaches a puree consistency,
- Chop the onion very finely, add it to the puree and mix,
- Take tangerine-sized pieces from the mixture and roll them and make a hollow in the middle by pressing them with your thumb,
- Place pomegranate seeds in the pit.
Bon Appetit...