Georgian balls of chopped spinach, walnuts, garlic, and fresh herbs, spiced up with vinegar and warm spices. Served chilled with pomegranate seeds, they are vegetal, tangy, and deeply fragrant.
Ingredients
- 600 g fresh spinach
- 160 g walnuts
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 pieces scallion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp walnut oil
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- to taste fine salt
- to taste ground black pepper
- 80 g pomegranate seeds
Method
- Rinse the spinach, then plunge it into a large pot of boiling salted water until it wilts and becomes soft, without losing its bright color.
- Drain the spinach, refresh under cold water, then squeeze very firmly between your hands or in a clean kitchen towel until it yields almost no water.
- Finely chop the spinach with a knife to obtain a short, even texture, moist but not watery.
- Blend the walnuts with the garlic, cilantro, parsley, scallions, ground coriander, fenugreek, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper until you have a coarse and fragrant paste, not a smooth puree.
- Mix the chopped spinach with the walnut paste, vinegar, and walnut oil until the mixture holds together when pressed in your palm.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning: the mixture should be distinctly herbaceous, slightly spicy, tangy, and well-salted without overpowering the walnuts.
- Cover and let rest in the refrigerator until the texture firms up and the flavors meld.
- Shape into small balls or compact quenelles with moist hands, then arrange them on a ceramic plate.
- Make a slight indentation on top of each portion, garnish with pomegranate seeds, and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 356.3 kcal
- Protein
- 11.26 g
- Carbohydrate
- 16.24 g
- Fat
- 30.76 g
- Fibre
- 7.35 g
- Calcium
- 188.06 mg
- Iron
- 6.01 mg
- Magnesium
- 89.04 mg
