Name: Badrijani Nigvzit
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1.2 kg firm, glossy eggplants, about 3 medium, washed, stems trimmed, cut lengthwise into 24 planks about 5 mm thick; 45 mL neutral sunflower oil, for brushing both sides of all slices; 300 g shelled walnuts, fresh and finely ground; 20 g garlic, about 5 cloves, peeled and grated or crushed; 20 g fresh coriander leaves, washed and finely chopped; 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and finely chopped; 3 g ground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli); 4 g ground coriander seed; 2 g ground dried Tagetes petals (Imeretian saffron); 1 g ground black pepper; 0.5 g mild ground dried red chili; 8 g fine salt; 30 mL white wine vinegar; 90 mL cold water; 60 g fresh pomegranate seeds

Wide view of Badrijani Nigvzit on a rustic table, with the serving setting visible around it.

Yield6 servings

Serving basis4 eggplant rolls per serving; one-sixth of the 24-roll batch

DifficultyIntermediate

Dietary classificationVegan and vegetarian; contains walnuts (tree nuts)

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The dish

About Badrijani Nigvzit

Tender ribbons of baked eggplant wrap around a garlicky, herb-flecked walnut filling in this Georgian appetizer. The batch makes 24 rolls, with four for each of six servings, finished with pomegranate seeds.

Badrijani Nigvzit (ბადრიჯანი ნიგვზით) means eggplant with walnuts. Georgian versions use cooked eggplant slices with a seasoned walnut filling; some are folded and others rolled. This home version bakes the slices with a measured coating of oil, then rolls them around a filling with garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, vinegar, and other seasonings. It is one practical interpretation of a dish made in different ways across Georgia.

Cut the eggplants lengthwise into even planks so they bend around the filling without splitting. Brushing both sides with the measured oil helps them soften and brown in the oven. Take them out when a slice is pliable through the centre and only lightly golden at the edges; crisp slices will crack as you roll them.

For the filling, grind the walnuts finely but stop before they release enough oil to become butter. Work in the herbs and spices, then add the vinegar and cold water gradually. The finished mixture should spread without running off the eggplant. Let the slices cool before filling, and chill the finished rolls briefly so they hold their shape. Pomegranate seeds are the only garnish in the measured recipe.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Badrijani Nigvzit: Georgian Eggplant Rolls with Walnut Paste

Eggplant

1.2 kgfirm, glossy eggplants, about 3 medium, washed, stems trimmed, cut lengthwise into 24 planks about 5 mm thick
45 mLneutral sunflower oil, for brushing both sides of all slices

Walnut filling

300 gshelled walnuts, fresh and finely ground
20 ggarlic, about 5 cloves, peeled and grated or crushed
20 gfresh coriander leaves, washed and finely chopped
15 gfresh flat-leaf parsley, washed and finely chopped
3 gground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
4 gground coriander seed
2 gground dried Tagetes petals (Imeretian saffron)
1 gground black pepper
0.5 gmild ground dried red chili
8 gfine salt
30 mLwhite wine vinegar
90 mLcold water

Garnish

60 gfresh pomegranate seeds

Method

Heat the oven and slice the eggplant. Heat the oven to 220 °C. Rinse the eggplants under clean running water; do not use soap. Trim the stems and cut the eggplants lengthwise into 24 planks about 5 mm thick. Keep the skin on so each slice stays intact. Line two wide trays with parchment.
Brush and bake. Brush both sides of every slice with all 45 mL sunflower oil and arrange them in a single layer. Bake at 220 °C for 20–25 minutes, turning the slices and rotating the trays halfway through. Remove them when they bend easily through the centre and are lightly golden at the edges, not crisp.
Cool the slices. Move the eggplant to a cooling rack or shallow tray and leave for about 10 minutes, until comfortable to handle and still flexible.
Grind the walnuts. Process the walnuts for about 5 minutes, stopping when they are a fine meal. Do not continue until they turn oily or form walnut butter.
Season the filling. Add the garlic, coriander leaves, parsley, blue fenugreek, ground coriander, Tagetes, black pepper, chili, and salt. Stir in the vinegar, then work in all 90 mL cold water gradually until the filling is thick, cohesive, and easy to spread.
Fill the eggplant. Spread a thin, even layer of walnut filling over each of the 24 slices, leaving a small border at one short end so the filling does not squeeze out.
Roll and chill. Starting from the filled short end, roll each slice snugly without forcing it to crack. Place the rolls seam-side down in a shallow covered container and refrigerate at 4 °C or below for 20 minutes. Chill within 2 hours of baking.
Garnish and serve. Arrange the rolls on a clean platter and distribute all 60 g pomegranate seeds over them. Serve cool or chilled, four rolls per person.

Serving, storage, and substitutions

Serve four rolls per person as a starter or as part of a Georgian shared table. The measured pomegranate seeds finish the platter; bread or other sides are optional and are not included in the yield or nutrition estimate.

Keep the rolls covered in a shallow container at 4 °C or below and use within 3–4 days. Do not leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Reheating is unnecessary and can soften the eggplant and loosen the filling. For make-ahead preparation, bake and cool the eggplant and prepare the walnut filling up to a day ahead; refrigerate them separately, then fill and roll on the serving day. Finished rolls can also be made one day ahead and kept covered and chilled.

Freezing is not recommended because thawed eggplant releases water and becomes soft. Fresh coriander can replace some parsley only if the total measured herb quantity remains 35 g. Walnuts define this filling and should not be replaced with another nut paste. The dried Tagetes petals are the spice sometimes called Imeretian saffron; they are not true saffron.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 4 eggplant rolls, one-sixth of the batch, including filling, brushing oil, and garnish
Calories: 390 kcal
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Protein: 9 g
Fat: 35 g
Fibre: 8 g
Sodium: 530 mg

Allergens and food safety

This recipe contains walnuts, a tree nut. Keep walnuts and the finished filling away from foods for anyone with a tree-nut allergy. Clean the food processor, work surfaces, and utensils before preparing allergy-safe food. Wash fresh eggplants under running water, without soap or detergent.

Cool the baked slices briefly, then refrigerate the finished rolls in a shallow covered container within 2 hours. Store at 4 °C or below and use within 3–4 days. Keep the platter chilled while serving; discard food left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Closing

Each of six servings gets four tender eggplant rolls wrapped around a garlicky, spiced walnut filling.
Bake the slices only until flexible, and keep the walnut filling thick enough to stay inside each roll.