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The Hirshon Georgian Beet And Walnut Puree – ჭარხლის ფხალი

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The Hirshon Georgian Beet And Walnut Puree - ჭარხლის ფხალი

Beet Pkhali Image Used Under Creative Commons License From kargigogo.com

Citizens, your beloved and intractable leader – I, the mighty TFD! – have decided to once again grace you with a recipe from perhaps my favorite cuisine on the planet! Yes, I speak of the proud country of Georgia, whose amazing recipes, gorgeous countryside and people of legendary hospitality make this a truly special place on our lonely planet!

I have already given you a recipe for spinach pkhali, which will forever change how you view that particular vegetable. Today, I give you the variant made from beets, with a healthful amount of walnuts, garlic, herbs and spices thrown in for good measure!

Pkhali (Georgian: ფხალი) is a traditional Georgian dish of chopped and minced vegetables, such as cabbage, eggplant, spinach, beans, or beets that are combined with ground walnuts, vinegar, onions, garlic, and herbs.

Charkhlis Pkhali Georgian: ჭარხლის ფხალი) (pronounced as CHARK-lees puh-KAHL-ee) is typically served alongside other dishes as a salad or side— on kargigogo.com (my go-to source for Georgian spices!), they recommend scooping some up with your bread or khachapuri, use it as a relish with spicy roast chicken, or just gobble it up with a spoon. Some serve it as a dip with crackers, spread it on crostini with a few pickled red onions and extra cilantro, and formed it into balls to serve as passed appetizers.

It’s best made several hours ahead of time to give the garlic time to mellow and the flavors meld.

Citizens, this is a colorful, healthful and absolutely delicious recipe that I hope you will take the time to try – I promise you, it will become a favorite in your household to all!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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The Hirshon Georgian Beet And Walnut Puree – ჭარხლის ფხალი

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. red beets (3-4 medium), washed but not peeled
  • 1 tablespoon walnut oil (preferred) or other mild-tasting oil
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro, or more to taste
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ½ tsp pennyroyal mint (preferred) or use dried spearmint if unavailable
  • ½ tsp dried summer savory
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp ground coriander seed
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar, or more to taste

Instructions

  1. Wrap the beets in foil and bake them for an hour or so at 375° F. until tender. Allow them to cool, then roughly chop them.
  2. While waiting on the beets, grind the walnuts, garlic, walnut oil and salt together in a food processor. Add the cilantro, pennyroyal, cayenne, parsley, pepper, summer savory, and coriander, and continue grinding to make a fine paste.
  3. Add the beets, puree with the ground walnut mixture. Add vinegar, stir until well combined, then adjust vinegar as needed to make the dish slightly tart.
  4. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and bring to room temperature before serving.
https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-georgian-beet-walnut-puree-%e1%83%ad%e1%83%90%e1%83%a0%e1%83%ae%e1%83%9a%e1%83%98%e1%83%a1-%e1%83%a4%e1%83%ae%e1%83%90%e1%83%9a%e1%83%98/

 

 

The Hirshon Georgian Khmeli Suneli Spice Mix – ხმელი სუნელი

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The Hirshon Georgian Khmeli Suneli Spice Mix - ხმელი სუნელი

Khmeli Suneli Image Used Under Creative Commons License From pinterest.com

Citizens, your beloved leader, the inestimable and supremely beatific TFD, rocks Georgian food as few outside that beautiful country (yes, the COUNTRY) do.

There are indeed a plethora of Georgian recipes throughout the chronicles of my recipes here, but one things stands consistent in most of these – they all use the unique Georgian spice blend known as khmeli suneli!

Khmeli suneli (literally “dried spices”) is a traditional Georgian spice mix that is ubiquitous in Georgia and in fact throughout the entire Caucasus region. This mixture is an ingredient of traditional Georgian dishes and sauces and in effect defines the Georgian dish flavor profile. Some compare it to Garam Masala, and it does indeed share much in common with this staple spice blend of Indian cuisine (though it uses far more herbs and a few different spices).

Among the herbs and spices used in khmeli suneli are: coriander, dill, basil, bay leaf, marjoram, blue fenugreek, parsley, safflower or saffron, black pepper, celery, thyme, hyssop, mint, and hot pepper.

Georgia is the home to a wide range of unique herbs and spices that can be difficult to find in this (or any other) country. Fortunately, you can mail order the needed ingredients from this source.

In Georgia, there are almost as many variations of khmeli suneli as there are families: everyone has their own favorite combination of herbs and spices.

This is my personal blend, Citizens – it is resolutely traditional and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It improves virtually anything: try sprinkling it on meats, vegetables and more!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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The Hirshon Georgian Khmeli Suneli Spice Mix – ხმელი სუნელი

Ingredients

  • Use all dried herbs
  • 4 tsp finely ground basil
  • 4 tsp finely ground parsley
  • 4 tsp finely ground dill
  • 4 tsp finely ground kindzi (Georgian coriander - preferred) or coriander
  • 4 tsp finely ground spearmint
  • 4 tsp finely ground bay leaf
  • 4 tsp finely ground summer savory
  • 4 tsp finely ground Utskho Suneli, wild blue fenugreek (preferred) or substitute regular ground fenugreek
  • 4 tsp finely ground marjoram
  • 4 tsp finely ground basil
  • 2 tsp finely ground zaprata (Georgian ground marigold petals - preferred) or turmeric
  • 2 tsp finely ground dzira (Georgian caraway - preferred) or caraway
  • 1 tsp. finely ground hyssop (optional but highly recommended)
  • 1 tsp finely ground dried Adzhika (preferred) or cayenne
  • ¼ tsp finely ground celery seed

Instructions

  1. Combine all and keep in a tightly-sealed container away from light or heat. The shelf-life is about 6 months.
https://www.thefooddictator.com/hirshon-georgian-khmeli-suneli-spice-mix-%e1%83%ae%e1%83%9b%e1%83%94%e1%83%9a%e1%83%98-%e1%83%a1%e1%83%a3%e1%83%9c%e1%83%94%e1%83%9a%e1%83%98/

Georgian Spiced Leek Balls With Garlic And Walnuts – ფრასიელა

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Georgian Spiced Leek Balls With Garlic And Walnuts - ფრასიელა

Prasiela Image Used Under Creative Commons License From georgianrecipes.net

Citizens, you all know that I am inordinately fond of the cuisine of the amazing country of Georgia! Here is a fantastic heirloom recipe that includes the holy trinity of Georgian food: walnuts, garlic and pomegranate! Found on georgianrecipes.net, I cannot improve upon it and quote verbatim from their fantastic site!

With this post, we end our 3-straight recipe listings from this mighty country, but don’t forget there are dozens of superb Georgian recipes here on TFD! All you have to do is click on the “Georgian” tag on the right sidebar and all of our magnificent entries will be at your full beck and call! 🙂

In this old recipe from Georgia’s Imereti region we show how to make Prasiela, a type of Pkhali or Fkhali (Georgian: ფხალი) that uses leeks and a spicy walnut mixture. Served cold, Prasiela is delicious! It is redolent of garlic, rare Georgian spices and herbs and includes both ground walnuts and pomegranate seeds, both renowned superfoods for your health!

Serve this at your next party and prepare to receive multitudinous accolades for this delicious appetizer! Since I have not modified this recipe in any way from its classic ingredients or technique, it lacks my normal “Hirshon” prefix in the title.

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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Georgian Spiced Leek Balls With Garlic And Walnuts – ფრასიელა

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kilos of leeks
  • 400 grams of walnuts
  • 30 grams of fresh parsley
  • 30 grams of fresh green coriander
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 level tsp of blue fenugreek
  • 1 level tsp of dried marigold
  • 1 heaped tsp of dried hot red pepper (optional)
  • 1 level tsp of dried coriander
  • 5 tbs of white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbs of vegetable oil
  • pomegranate seeds (for garnish),
  • Salt (amount dependent upon personal preference)

Instructions

  1. Carefully wash the leeks and add to salty boiled water. Boil for at least 25 minutes. The leeks must be tender.
  2. Drain the water from the pot using a colander.
  3. Grind the walnuts and garlic together.
  4. Chop the fresh green coriander and parsley and add to a mixing bowl, together with 5 tbs of white wine vinegar, 2 tbs of vegetable oil, and the ground walnuts/garlic. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Add 1 level tsp of blue fenugreek, 1 level tsp of dried marigold, 1 heaped tsp of dried hot red pepper (optional), 1 level tsp of dried coriander, and salt (amount dependent upon personal preference). Mix with a wooden spoon.
  6. Squeeze the leeks with your hands to remove as much water as possible.
  7. Form the leeks into a ball shape and squeeze very hard to remove any remaining water.
  8. Chop the balls of leeks and add to the mixing bowl containing the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
  9. Serving: Form the mixture into balls. Serve cold, garnished with pomegranate seeds.
https://www.thefooddictator.com/georgian-spiced-leek-balls-garlic-walnuts-%e1%83%a4%e1%83%a0%e1%83%90%e1%83%a1%e1%83%98%e1%83%94%e1%83%9a%e1%83%90/

 

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