The Hirshon Georgian Pkhali – ფხალი

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Pkhali Image Used Under Creative Commons License From 196flavors.com

Citizens, as you know, TFD is exceedingly fond of all the foods from the magnificent country of Georgia, and is on a lifelong quest to share its wonders with the rest of the world!

Today, I give you Pkhali (Georgian: ფხალი), a traditional Georgian dish of chopped and minced vegetables originating in the Mingrelia region. It is typically made from spinach or beet greens and combined with ground walnuts, vinegar, onions, garlic, and herbs.

This is a delicious vegetarian spread that is rich in superfoods such as spinach, garlic, walnuts and pomegranate seeds as well as a plethora of spices.

Here is a mighty recipe that deserves your full and prompt attention as well as due consideration, my Citizens! 🙂

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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2 pounds fresh spinach leaves
1 ½ cups toasted walnuts
3 medium cloves garlic, preferably Georgian
1 medium shallot, minced
¾ cup packed Cilantro leaves
¼ cup roughly chopped parsley, packed
6 tablespoons walnut oil
4 teaspoons tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground wild blue fenugreek – Utskho Suneli (Wild Blue Fenugreek) – buy it from here or use regular ground fenugreek
Several grinds black pepper
Pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. hot paprika
½ tsp. ground turmeric
½ cup pomegranate seeds, for garnish (arils; optional)

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Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach, stirring to submerge the leaves and make room for more. Once all the spinach has wilted and the stems softened, about 3 minutes, drain in a large colander.

Rinse the spinach with tap water until the greens feel cool, then squeeze out as much water from them as you can. (This is most effectively done by squeezing it, a chunk at a time, between your hands or in your fists.)

Grind the walnuts in a food processor to the consistency of coarse sand. Add the spinach, garlic, shallot, cilantro, oil, vinegar, coriander, salt, fenugreek, black pepper, paprika, turmeric and cayenne pepper; puree until smooth.

Transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid; taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed. Refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight.

Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds just before serving.