Achapa Set (Pkhali in Abkhaz Style)

Appetizers | Abkhazian cuisine

⏳ Time

40 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

This recipe was shared with us by the chef of the restaurant 'The Cozy Eatery', John Smith.

Ingredients

Walnuts - 17.6 oz
Adjika - 0.7 oz
Onion - 3.5 oz
Cilantro - 1 bunch
Khmeli-suneli - 0.1 oz
Salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Water - to taste
Spinach - 7.1 oz
Beans - 17.6 oz
Eggplants - 7.1 oz
White Pepper (whole) - 1 piece

Step by Step guide

Step 1

For the nut paste, pass the nuts through a meat grinder. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in vegetable oil until golden brown. Chop the cilantro leaves finely.

Step 2

Combine the nuts, onion, and cilantro, then add the adjika and khmeli-suneli spices. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Mix well. If the paste is too thick and difficult to shape, add a little cold water and mix again.

Step 3

Place the spinach in a pot of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes. Then, drain it in a colander, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out excess moisture. Pass it through a meat grinder along with the cilantro. Mix with a third of the nut paste, add adjika, finely chopped cilantro, and sautéed onions.

Step 4

Cook the beans until soft and mash them. Mix with a third of the nut paste, add adjika, finely chopped cilantro, and minced garlic.

Step 5

Slice the eggplant lengthwise into long strips. Sauté the strips in vegetable oil on both sides until tender. Then generously spread with nut paste, sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro, cut lengthwise into 3–4 cm wide strips, and roll them up into little rolls.

Step 6

Wash the peppers, pat them dry, place them on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 392°F for 10–15 minutes. They should become softer but retain their shape. Place them in a bag, tie it up, and let them "sweat." Then, cut off the stems, remove the seeds, allow them to cool completely, and fill them with nut paste. Slice them crosswise into rounds about 3–4 cm thick.

Step 7

To serve, use a mold (cookie cutters can be used) to shape the spinach and bean mixture onto a plate. Arrange the eggplant rolls and pieces of bell pepper alongside.