Pkhali is one of Georgia's most recognisable appetizers: small balls or patties of cooked vegetables ground with walnuts, garlic, herbs and spices and topped with pomegranate seeds. It appears at every feast, on fasting days and as an everyday starter. The dish is fully plant-based, filling thanks to the walnuts and still light. Here's how to make pkhali at home that tastes like it came from a good Tbilisi restaurant.
What is pkhali
In Georgian, "pkhali" means both the dish and the edible leaves and herbs it's made from. Villagers traditionally used whatever grew nearby: nettles, beet greens, wild garlic, young cabbage, orache. Today the most popular versions are spinach (green), beetroot (ruby), cabbage and green bean. Festive tables often feature an assortment of three or four colours.
The heart of pkhali isn't the vegetable but the walnut paste. It gives the rich flavour, creamy texture and the distinctive Georgian aroma of coriander and utskho suneli.
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
Walnut paste (for all types)
- shelled walnuts — 300 g;
- garlic — 4–5 cloves;
- coriander leaves (cilantro) — 1 large bunch;
- ground coriander seed — 1 tsp;
- utskho suneli (blue fenugreek) — 1 tsp;
- khmeli suneli — 1 tsp;
- dried marigold petals (Imeretian saffron) — 1/2 tsp, optional;
- chilli (fresh or dried) — to taste;
- wine vinegar — 2–3 tbsp;
- salt — to taste.
Vegetables (choose)
- spinach — 500 g;
- beetroot — 2 medium;
- green beans — 400 g;
- white cabbage — 1/2 small head.
To garnish
- pomegranate seeds;
- a few walnut halves;
- coriander sprigs.
Method
1. Prepare the vegetables
Spinach. Wash, drop into boiling salted water for 1–2 minutes, drain and immediately cool under cold water to keep the bright colour. Then squeeze hard with your hands — excess water is pkhali's worst enemy.
Beetroot. Boil until tender (40–60 minutes) or roast in foil — roasted beets are tastier and drier. Peel, grate finely or blitz, and squeeze out the juice.
Green beans. Boil for 7–10 minutes until soft, cool and squeeze.
Cabbage. Cut into large pieces, boil until soft (10–15 minutes), cool and squeeze thoroughly.
2. Make the walnut paste
Grind the walnuts with the garlic in a blender, or pass them through a meat grinder twice so the mixture turns oily. Add the finely chopped coriander, ground coriander, utskho suneli, khmeli suneli, marigold, chilli, salt and vinegar, and mix. You want a thick, fragrant paste; if it's too dry, add 1–2 tablespoons of water.
Taste it: it should be bold — garlicky, spiced, with a little tang.
3. Combine
Finely chop each vegetable with a knife or pulse it in a blender (don't purée!). Divide the walnut paste according to the number of vegetables and mix each portion with a vegetable. For 500 g of spinach you'll use roughly a third of the paste.
Taste each mixture again and adjust salt or vinegar.
4. Shape
With wet hands, roll balls the size of a walnut or shape small patties. The classic restaurant style is a flattened ball with a dimple on top filled with pomegranate seeds.
5. Chill and serve
Refrigerate for at least 1–2 hours so the flavours come together. Before serving, garnish with pomegranate, walnut halves and coriander.
Tips for great pkhali
- Squeeze the vegetables very well. If pkhali is runny and falls apart, water is to blame.
- Don't skimp on walnuts. They make the dish filling and bind the mixture.
- Use wine vinegar — white or red, or apple cider at a pinch. Pomegranate juice also works.
- Utskho suneli gives the Georgian character. Find it in specialist shops or bring it back from a Tbilisi market.
- Make it ahead. Pkhali tastes better the next day.
What to serve with it
Pkhali is a starter, served at the start of a feast with cheese, lobio, mchadi (cornbread), fresh vegetables and herbs. It pairs well with white Kakhetian wines such as rkatsiteli or mtsvane, while beetroot pkhali also suits a light red.
On fasting days pkhali is the backbone of the table, since it's entirely plant-based.
Where to try pkhali in Georgia
Almost every Georgian restaurant serves pkhali, from cheap family canteens to trendy Tbilisi wine bars. Menus often list a "pkhali assortment" — three or four kinds on one plate, the best way to compare. In villages, especially in Imereti and Samegrelo, cooks make spring pkhali from young nettles and wild garlic — if you stay at a guesthouse at that time, be sure to ask.
Storage
Pkhali keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days in a sealed container. Freezing isn't recommended: thawed vegetables turn watery.
In short
Pkhali is a simple, inexpensive and thoroughly Georgian dish: cooked vegetables plus a generous walnut paste with garlic, coriander and spices. Squeeze the vegetables well, be generous with walnuts and let it rest in the fridge. Make a three-colour assortment, garnish with pomegranate, and your table will instantly look like a real Georgian supra.
