Spinach Pkhali is a vibrant and delicious pâté made with finely chopped spinach and walnuts, flavoured with garlic and a traditional Georgian spice blend.
Spinach Pkhali is a beloved dish from Georgia, a country nestled between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Known for its vibrant colours, bold flavours, and healthy ingredients, this dish has become a staple in Georgian cuisine. This version of Pkhali uses spinach, however, almost any vegetable can be used. Spinach Pkhali has an earthy and mildly bitter flavour, while Beetroot Pkhali is sweeter and has a subtle, earthy depth. We also have a recipe for Beetroot Pkhali. Both versions share the rich creaminess of ground walnuts and the vibrant punch from the garlic and spices. Pkhali can also be made with a variety of vegetables, such as white beans, cabbage or eggplant, allowing for endless flavour combinations while maintaining the same nutty, spiced base.
Creating a Georgian Spread: Spinach Pkhali and Its Ideal Vegan Companions
For an easy pairing with Spinach Pkhali, you can serve it with some fresh crusty bread or Georgian Mchadi, a traditional cornbread, perfect for scooping up all those rich flavours.
If you want to go all out and create a more complete Georgian spread, we love serving it alongside Badrijani Nigvzit, a heavenly eggplant dish stuffed with walnut paste. The rich flavours of the eggplant and walnut filling perfectly complement the earthy taste of the Pkhali.
If you’re into exploring more Pkhali variations, we also have a recipe for Beetroot Pkhali, which has a slightly sweeter, more vibrant flavour compared to the spinach version. Together, these dishes create a mini Georgian feast right at home.
Khmeli Suneli
Khmeli Suneli is a traditional Georgian spice blend. It typically includes blue fenugreek, ground coriander, chilli and lots of dried herbs including dill, summer savory and oregano, though, as with most spice blends, variations exist. This aromatic mix adds complexity and warmth to dishes, offering a fragrant blend of earthy, slightly bitter, and floral notes. Khmeli Suneli is essential in many Georgian recipes, infusing them with the distinctive flavour of the region’s cuisine.
You might be able to find Khmeli Suneli at speciality stores or online, but if you can’t track it down, don’t worry—you can easily whip up a simplified version at home. All you need is a tablespoon each of ground coriander, blue fenugreek (or regular fenugreek if that’s easier to find), dried dill, dried oregano and dried summer savory together with ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper. If you want to keep it even simpler, just use coriander, fenugreek, and dill and cayenne pepper for the basics.
Spinach Pkhali – Georgian Spinach and Walnut Spread
Ingredients
- 200 g baby spinach
- 50 g walnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 spring onion
- 10 g fresh coriander
- ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon khmeli suneli
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
- Quickly blanch the spinach in a pot of boiling water until wilted, around 2 minutes.
- Once wilted, place the spinach in a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and maintain its vibrant green colour.
- Once cooled remove the spinach from the water and squeeze thoroughly to remove any excess liquid. Reserve some of this liquid for later.
- If you have a food processor pulse all the ingredients apart from the spinach to form a thick paste. Scraping down the sides as needed. Add the spinach and pulse a few more times until fully incorporated. If the mixture is not forming into a paste add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved liquid and pulse again.
- If you do not have a food processor, grind the walnuts and garlic in a mortar and pestle into a thick paste, finely chop the spinach, fresh coriander and spring onions then combine everything in a bowl.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Garnish your Spinach Pkhali with pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander and serve with Georgian mchadi or crusty bread.
