Spinach pkhali

Spinach pkhali is a cold Georgian appetizer made of two parts: dressing and the main ingredient - spinach, or ispanahi. Everything is ground together to the consistency of a pate and, according to the classic recipe, mixed by hand. Walnuts for pkhali should be light, oily and not bitter. Georgian women traditionally grind them in a mortar, but in this recipe the ingredients are passed through a meat grinder - it is easier and the dish acquires a uniform consistency and delicate texture. The taste of walnuts goes well with pepper, cilantro and pungent garlic. The latter, by the way, according to the recipe is ground with a knife, without the help of a garlic press. In the homeland of this dish, the main ingredient is chosen depending on the time of year: in the spring, pkhali is prepared from nettles or spinach, and in the winter, more satisfying products are chosen: green beans, beets or mushrooms. From the resulting mixture, you can mold a thick pancake and make a pattern of notches on it or roll it into balls with a hollow inside - where, according to the recipe, pomegranate is poured.