Baked Eggplant Pkhali

Appetizers | Georgian cuisine

⏳ Time

1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Recipe from Chef John Smith.

Ingredients

Eggplants - 2 lbs
Unsalted peanuts, shelled - 2.5 oz
Shelled pumpkin seeds - 2.5 oz
Onion - 2.5 oz
Cilantro - 1.8 oz
Garlic - 0.4 oz
Uchiko Suneli - ½ spoons
Khmeli-suneli - ½ spoons
Mild Chili Spice - 0.1 oz
Mild Chili Spice - 0.1 oz
Salt - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 464°F.

Step 2

Wash and dry the eggplants. Poke them with a skewer in several places, place them on a baking sheet, and roast for 20–30 minutes. Check for doneness with the skewer – if it easily pierces the flesh, the eggplants are done.

Step 3

Transfer the eggplants to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow the eggplants to cool, then peel off the skin and remove the stems.

Step 4

Squeeze the flesh of the eggplants through a cheesecloth to remove excess juice and finely chop it with a knife.

Step 5

Finely chop the onion, garlic, chili pepper, nuts, and herbs, then mix them with the eggplants. Add all the spices except for the salt. Knead well and let it rest for 1 hour to infuse the flavors.

Step 6

Taste the eggplant mixture and add more salt if needed.

Step 7

Form the mixture into balls the size of ping-pong balls. Serve this variation of pkhali deliciously with homemade cheese and corn flatbread called mchadi.