Spinach Pkhali

Spinach Pkhali

Pkhali (in Hebrew “פחאלי”) is the name for a family of dishes of chopped vegetables mixed with walnuts, garlic, herbs and vinegar. It can be made from beets, green beans or cabbage; the spinach version is green, fresh and especially common. It is served as flattened balls or as a spread, usually with pomegranate seeds.

Prep time: 25 minutes · Cooking: 5 minutes · Chilling: 30 minutes · Yield: 8 appetizer servings · Difficulty: easy

Squeezing determines the texture

Cooked spinach holds a lot of water. If you don’t really squeeze it by hand, the walnuts won’t be able to bind the mixture and it will turn into a puddle. From 1.2 kg of fresh spinach, a much smaller amount remains — that is normal.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

• 1.2 kg fresh spinach, or 700 grams thawed frozen spinach
• 300 grams walnuts
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, chopped very finely
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander and 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt, black pepper and a pinch of chili
• 100 grams pomegranate seeds

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

Turkish spinach or baby spinach work, but tough stems need to be removed. For frozen spinach, choose a product with no sauce or seasoning and squeeze it after thawing. Walnuts are an allergen, and the dish should not be served as a “spinach spread” without mentioning them.

Method

1. Blanch. Put the spinach in a wide pot with the water left from rinsing, cover and cook for 3–5 minutes just until it collapses. Cool immediately.
2. Squeeze and chop. Squeeze handfuls hard until almost no water comes out and chop finely with a knife. There is no need to turn it into a puree.
3. Grind the walnuts. Grind the walnuts, garlic, half of the cilantro, the spices and the vinegar into a coarse paste.
4. Mix. Combine the spinach, walnut paste, onion and the rest of the cilantro. Taste for salt and vinegar. Chill for 30 minutes.
5. Shape. Form 16 small balls, flatten them slightly and make a dimple with your thumb. Garnish with pomegranate.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

Bread is not included. Most of the calories come from the walnuts; the spinach adds volume and fiber. Cutting back on walnuts hurts the mixture’s ability to hold together.

Variations and tips

• For beet pkhali, replace the spinach with 1 kg of roasted, grated and squeezed beets.
• The mixture improves after a few hours and keeps 3 days refrigerated.
• If it is soft, chill it before adding more walnuts; cold firms up the fat.

Summary

Pkhali is not a spinach salad but a balance of squeezed greens, walnut, garlic and vinegar. Two large balls are about 295 calories. Serve alongside badrijani and see Georgian cuisine.