Spinach Pkhali

Ingredients

• 1⅛ lbspinachfresh or frozen
• 4¼ ozwalnutsshelled
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 3½ ozonionfinely chopped
• 1 ozcilantrofinely chopped
• ½ ozparsley (optional)
• 2 tbspwine vinegarwhite or red
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspblue fenugreek
• 1 tspkhmeli sunelispice blend
• 1 tspground marigold
• chilliground or fresh, to taste
• saltto taste
• black pepperto taste (optional)
• 1 tbspvegetable oilfor frying the onion or mixing in (optional)
• 1 pinchbaking sodainto the cooking water, keeps the colour (optional)
• 1 ozpomegranate seedsfor garnish

Method

1. Wash and sort the spinach, pulling off any coarse stems. If you're using frozen spinach, let it thaw completely.
2. Bring a generous pot of salted water to a boil, add a pinch of baking soda if you like — it keeps the colour bright — and blanch the spinach for 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Drain the spinach, refresh it in cold water or let it cool, then squeeze it out very thoroughly; the drier it is, the better the mixture will hold together later.
4. Put the walnuts through a meat grinder with the garlic and some of the cilantro and parsley, or grind them in a blender to a moist, grainy paste.
5. Finely chop the onion and, if you like, fry it until translucent in a tablespoon of vegetable oil; otherwise use it raw.
6. Chop the spinach finely, or grind it along with the nuts, and combine it with the walnut paste, the onion and the rest of the herbs.
7. Season with wine vinegar, ground coriander, blue fenugreek, khmeli suneli, Imeretian saffron, chili, salt and pepper, then knead the mixture firmly until it is elastic and homogeneous.
8. Cover and chill the mixture for 15 minutes to 1 hour, so the spices come together and it shapes more easily.
9. With damp hands, roll small balls or pat out little discs, arrange them on a platter, garnish with pomegranate seeds and herbs, and serve cold.

Tips and variations

Beet greens, beetroot or green beans work just as well as the base instead of spinach — the walnut mixture stays the same. You can use lemon juice in place of the wine vinegar for the sour note, green adjika for more heat, or fold in some quark (kamats matsun) for a creamier texture. If you prefer, fry the onion, walnuts and spices in oil and mix everything while still warm, or add celery, dill and spring onions to the greens. For serving, press a small hollow into each ball and fill it with pomegranate seeds rather than just sprinkling them over — or spread the mixture into a flat rectangle and cut it into discs.