Pkhali from beetroot and beet tops
12 servings
60 minutes
Pkhali made from beets and beet greens is a traditional dish of Georgian cuisine that embodies the harmony of flavors and textures. These bright vegetable balls are filled with the aroma of nuts, coriander, and ucho-suneli. The history of pkhali goes back centuries when Georgian housewives sought to create a nutritious and easy-to-make dish from available ingredients. Beets give pkhali natural sweetness and juiciness, while the greens add freshness and a slight bitterness. Walnuts enrich the dish's structure, making it rich and nutritious. Pkhali is served chilled, garnished with pomegranate seeds and cilantro leaves, highlighting its exquisite taste. It is perfect as an appetizer for a festive table or as a standalone dish that combines simplicity and elegance of Georgian cuisine.
1
Prepare all the ingredients.
2
Boil water in a pot and cook the beet until soft.
- Beetroot: 500 g
3
In a large pot, bring 3 liters of water to a boil, add a teaspoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt.
- Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
4
When the water boils, add the leaves. Do not cook the leaves for long, a maximum of five minutes. When the leaves start to soften, transfer them to ice water, then squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Beet greens: 1 kg
5
Scroll boiled beets and greens, as well as nuts, through a meat grinder with a fine mesh.
- Beetroot: 500 g
- Beet greens: 1 kg
- Walnuts: 300 g
6
Chop the onion into small cubes.
- Onion: 200 g
7
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onion until soft over medium heat. Let the cooked onion cool.
- Vegetable oil: 30 ml
- Onion: 200 g
8
Add the cooled onion to the ground ingredients. Add coriander and ucho-suneli, and mix well.
- Ground coriander: 1 g
- Blue fenugreek (utskho-suneli): 2 g
9
Try the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix again.
- Salt: to taste
- Salt: to taste
10
Roll the mixture into balls the size of a small chicken egg.
11
Serve the pkhali balls decorated with pomegranate seeds and cilantro leaves.
- Pomegranate seeds (arils): to taste
- Cilantro: to taste