While touring Georgia last week, we ate about 5 different versions of eggplant “pkhali”, which is what they call their savory dips. You’ll find it in most restaurants, almost always served with delicious warm traditional Georgian bread. This version was probably my favorite because it has walnuts, a star ingredient of the country’s cuisine, which add a wonderful nutty flavor and more spreadable texture. Like most delicacies in the Caucasus region, it is also infused with a heavenly combination of herbs, which heighten the taste like no other eggplant dip I’ve ever had.
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt (or more depending on taste)
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek
- 1/2 tsp savory
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 tbsp good quality vinegar
- 1 tsp pomegranate syrup
- 2 x 1/4 cup of chopped coriander
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C
- Place the whole eggplants in the oven on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool.
- When eggplants are at room temperature, peel the skin and top off so that only the flesh remains
- Place walnut and coriander seeds in a small blender and blitz for 5 seconds. Add the aubergine flesh, garlic, salt, savory, fenugreek, vinegar, pomegranate syrup and 1/4 cup of the fresh coriander. Blitz until almost smooth.
- Pour in a serving bowl. Top with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
