Eggplant Pkhali: Georgian Walnut Eggplant Appetizer Recipe

Step-by-step recipe

1. Whatever you make an appetizer from, it is essential to stick to one principle: the ingredients must be absolutely fresh and the proportions must be kept.
   
2. For eggplant pkhali it is important that the eggplants are large but not overripe, with light seeds and thin dark skin. First, bake the eggplants until done.
3. This can be done in different ways, for example in the oven or in the microwave. Either way, brush the whole eggplants with a little vegetable oil so they don't burn, and pierce them right through with a fork or a thin knife so they don't “explode” from the steam pressure inside.
   
4. Bake the eggplants in the oven at 180°C for 30-40 mins, until soft. Or microwave them at full power for 10 mins. As soon as the eggplants are soft and have “collapsed”, take them out and cover with a plate until completely cool.
5. Then peel the eggplants and chop the flesh into pieces. Pkhali recipes suggest tearing the eggplant flesh by hand. But it is much easier to cut the unpeeled baked eggplant in half and scrape out the flesh in small portions with a teaspoon.
   
6. Next, make the dressing. Put the walnuts, peeled garlic and cilantro into a blender. Add salt and khmeli-suneli to taste. Add 1-2 tbsp of wine vinegar. It is very tasty if you also add a seeded hot pepper pod. Blend everything into a paste. The mixture should be smooth.
   
7. Combine the chopped eggplant flesh and the dressing, then mix thoroughly. In the simple version, just spread the appetizer on a plate. In the Caucasus it is customary to serve it as small balls, each just the right size for one bite.
   
8. If pkhali is served as an appetizer, you can garnish it with herbs, pomegranate seeds or other small berries — cranberries, redcurrants and so on. You can sprinkle it with a pinch of chopped walnuts and very finely chopped herbs. Thinly sliced red onion rings are often placed on top as well.
   
9. The appetizer should be chilled — its flavor really comes through once it is cold. If you like, before serving you can add thin matchsticks of garlic, pieces of hot pepper, perhaps some sweet onion and herbs.
   
10. Pkhali can also be served as a side dish, for example with boiled potatoes. It is best to arrange the potatoes around the edge of the plate. And, of course, garnish the dish. But don't forget that first and foremost it is an exquisite appetizer.