Pkhali

Name: Pkhali
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 portions
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 600 g Spinach, fresh, washed; or 300 g frozen leaf spinach, thawed; 120 g Walnuts; 2 clove Garlic; 0.5 small Onion, very finely chopped; 20 g Coriander, fresh, chopped; 1 tsp Ground coriander; 0.5 tsp Fenugreek, ground; 1 tsp blue fenugreek if available; 0.25 tsp Chilli flakes; 1.5 tbsp White wine vinegar, to taste; 0.75 tsp Salt; 0.5 piece Pomegranate, seeds only

ფხალი

Georgian spinach and walnut pâté, seasoned with garlic, coriander, fenugreek and vinegar, dotted with pomegranate.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ფხალი.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 5 min
Rest: 30 min
Total: 55 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Pkhali is a Georgian family of vegetable pâtés in which a cooked, squeezed vegetable is chopped fine and bound with a paste of ground walnuts, garlic, fresh coriander, ground coriander, fenugreek, a little chilli and vinegar. Spinach is the most common; beetroot, green beans, leek, cabbage and aubergine are all done the same way. The mixture is shaped into balls or a flat round, pressed with the back of a spoon and studded with pomegranate seeds. It is eaten at room temperature with bread. Squeeze the spinach hard: a wet pkhali is a sad thing. The walnut paste should be smooth and the vinegar should be noticeable.

What you'll need

11 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 11 ready

6 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Spinach, fresh, washed; or 300 g frozen leaf spinach, thawed600 g
Walnuts120 g
Garlic2 clove
Onion, very finely chopped (optional)½ small
Coriander, fresh, chopped20 g
Ground coriander4.9 ml
Fenugreek, ground; 1 tsp blue fenugreek if available2½ ml
Chilli flakes1.2 ml
White wine vinegar, to taste22 ml
Salt3.7 ml
Pomegranate, seeds only½

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Drop the spinach into a pan of boiling salted water for 1 minute until wilted. Drain and plunge into cold water. Squeeze in handfuls until no more liquid comes out, then chop finely.
8 min
Watch: Squeeze harder than you think. Water left in the spinach loosens the whole thing.
Step 2
Blend the walnuts, garlic, fresh coriander, ground coriander, fenugreek, chilli flakes and salt to a smooth, slightly oily paste. Add a splash of vinegar to help it move.
4 min
Step 3
Mix the paste thoroughly into the chopped spinach with the onion and the rest of the vinegar. Taste: it should be sour, garlicky and clearly of walnut. Adjust salt and vinegar.
4 min
Step 4
Shape with wet hands into walnut-sized balls or one flat round. Press a thumbprint into each. Chill 30 minutes.
5 min
Step 5
Bring to room temperature, fill the dents with pomegranate seeds and serve with bread.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 154 kcal
Protein: 7.7 g
Carbs: 10.5 g
Fat: 10.8 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Fibre: 5.2 g
Sugar: 1.7 g
Sodium: 351 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Tree nuts

Vegan
Vegetarian
Gluten-free
Dairy-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Spinach → Chard, nettles or green beans, blanched and chopped
All are traditional pkhali bases. Beans need 5 minutes in the water, not 1.

Tips

Make a double batch of the walnut paste and use half for a beetroot pkhali: 400 g boiled beetroot, grated and squeezed.
Pkhali keeps 3 days in the fridge and tastes better on day two.
Toasting the walnuts is not traditional and makes the paste heavier. Use them raw.

History & culture

The first plates on the supra table, several colours of pkhali together, before the hot dishes. Also fasting food during Orthodox Lent, when Georgians eat almost no animal products and the walnut tree does the heavy lifting. Sold by weight in Tbilisi markets.

Walnut pastes are the backbone of old Georgian cooking, predating tomatoes, beans and most of what the Americas sent. Pkhali originally meant a wild green and came to mean the dish. The spinach version is the most travelled; beetroot pkhali is the one Georgians photograph.

Traditional — Blue fenugreek and dried marigold are the correct spices. Ordinary fenugreek, used sparingly, stands in. The result is close; Georgians will know.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Pkhali take?

55 min all in — 20 min prep, 5 min cook, 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 portions. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Tree nuts. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Saucepan, Blender, Mixing bowl.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at ¾ tsp.

What can I use instead?

Spinach → Chard, nettles or green beans, blanched and chopped. All are traditional pkhali bases. Beans need 5 minutes in the water, not 1.

What should I watch for?

Squeeze harder than you think. Water left in the spinach loosens the whole thing.

Any tips from this recipe?

Make a double batch of the walnut paste and use half for a beetroot pkhali: 400 g boiled beetroot, grated and squeezed. Pkhali keeps 3 days in the fridge and tastes better on day two. Toasting the walnuts is not traditional and makes the paste heavier. Use them raw.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.