Name: Mindvris Pkhali (Imeretian Field Pkhali)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 700 g food-grade young nettle leaves; 500 g amaranth leaves; 400 g Swiss chard leaves or beet greens; 400 g spinach. Wash and trim all leaves; 180 g shelled walnuts, finely ground; 12 g garlic, peeled and finely grated; 40 g fresh coriander leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; 25 g fresh fennel fronds, finely chopped; 80 g green onion, thinly sliced; 30 ml white wine vinegar; 5 g fine salt; 2 g ground black pepper; 4 L water and 8 g fine salt for the blanching pot; reserve up to 150 ml of this liquid before draining. For a clean ice bath, use 2 L potable cold water and 1 kg ice. Most blanching salt, all ice-bath water and the ice are discarded

Wide platter of chopped leafy-green pkhali with walnuts, coriander and green onion

Yield6 appetizer portions

Serving1/6 batch; about 200 g, depending on how the greens drain

DifficultyModerate; several greens need sorting, blanching and draining

DietVegan and gluten-free; contains walnuts (tree nuts)

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The dish

About Mindvris Pkhali (Imeretian Field Pkhali)

Imeretian Field Pkhali: Georgian Greens with Walnuts and Herbs

This cold Imeretian pkhali combines spring greens, ground walnuts, garlic, fresh herbs and vinegar in a lightly bound, hand-chopped mixture.

Field pkhali is made from the edible greens available in season. In Imereti, nettles and amaranth are especially associated with the dish; home versions may add other leaves, young shoots and herbs. The cooked greens are drained, chopped and seasoned rather than blended into a smooth puree.

This practical version uses food-grade young nettles, amaranth, chard and spinach, with walnuts, coriander, fennel fronds and green onion. It keeps the mixture coarse enough to show its leafy texture. Vinegar brightens the rich walnut base, while a little reserved blanching water helps the ingredients hold together.

Serve the pkhali cold as a shared appetizer. Because the dish is prepared from several leafy greens and walnuts, rinse the produce well, keep the finished mixture chilled, and take care to avoid walnut cross-contact for guests with tree-nut allergies.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Imeretian Field Pkhali: Georgian Greens with Walnuts and Herbs

Greens

700 gfood-grade young nettle leaves
500 gamaranth leaves
400 gSwiss chard leaves or beet greens
400 gspinach. Wash and trim all leaves

Walnut and herb mixture

180 gshelled walnuts, finely ground
12 ggarlic, peeled and finely grated
40 gfresh coriander leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
25 gfresh fennel fronds, finely chopped
80 ggreen onion, thinly sliced
30 mlwhite wine vinegar
5 gfine salt
2 gground black pepper

For blanching and cooling

4 Lwater and 8 g fine salt for the blanching pot
reserve up to 150 ml of this liquid before draining. For a clean ice bath, use 2 L potable cold water and 1 kg ice. Most blanching salt, all ice-bath water and the ice are discarded

Method

Sort and wash the leaves. Discard spoiled leaves and tough stems. Rinse all greens thoroughly under running water, then drain. Wear clean gloves while handling uncooked nettles and keep them away from ready-to-eat foods. Use only cultivated, market-sold or positively identified edible greens; never use unknown plants.
Blanch until tender. Bring 4 L water and 8 g salt to a boil in a large pot. Blanch the greens in three batches, about 650–700 g at a time. After the water returns to a boil, cook each batch for 3–5 minutes, until the nettles are fully tender and all the leaves have wilted. Bring the water back to a boil between batches.
Cool and chop. Transfer each batch promptly to a clean bowl with 2 L cold water and 1 kg ice. Drain, squeeze the leaves gently and reserve up to 150 ml blanching liquid. Chop the greens finely with a knife, or pulse them briefly in a food processor; do not puree them.
Make the walnut mixture. Grind the walnuts finely. Stir in the garlic, coriander, fennel, green onion, vinegar, 5 g salt and black pepper. Fold in the chopped greens. Add reserved blanching liquid 15 ml at a time only until the mixture holds together; do not exceed 150 ml.
Cool and shape. Spread the mixture in a shallow tray no deeper than 5 cm and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. Keep the refrigerator at or below 4 °C and chill for 60 minutes. Shape the cold mixture into six compact patties or mounds with clean hands.
Serve cold. Arrange the pkhali on a clean platter and serve as a shared appetizer. Keep the serving platter chilled when possible and return leftovers to the refrigerator promptly.

Practical guidance

Success points

Blanch the greens in batches and cook nettles until fully tender; a brief rinse alone does not cook them.
Squeeze away excess water, then add the reserved blanching liquid a spoonful at a time. The mixture should hold its shape but remain leafy, not wet or pureed.

Practical guidance

The mix of leaves can vary with season, but keep the nettles and amaranth as the defining greens in this selected version. If nettles are unavailable, use an equal weight of spinach or chard; the result stays a green pkhali but loses the nettle note. Fresh leaves vary in water content, so squeeze gently and add the reserved liquid gradually.

Do not eat uncooked nettles, and do not use plants identified only by a photograph or guess. The recipe is written for edible greens sold for food or grown from known seed. Washing under running water helps remove dirt; soap and household produce detergents are not suitable for washing leaves.

Store pkhali covered at or below 4 °C. Refrigerate it within 2 hours, serve cold, and use leftovers within 3–4 days. Keep it away from raw foods and from utensils that have touched them. This appetizer is not reheated.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/6 of the batch; about 200 g
Energy: ~330 kcal
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Protein: 14 g
Fat: 22 g
Fibre: 7 g
Sodium: ~1,200 mg

Approximate estimate for one sixth of the recipe. The full batch is estimated at about 1,980 kcal, 114 g carbohydrate, 84 g protein, 132 g fat, 42 g fibre and 7,200 mg sodium. Added salt is conservatively counted, including salt in the blanching water, most of which is discarded; actual sodium may be lower. Leaf variety and water retention also affect the estimate.

Allergens and food safety

Contains walnuts (tree nuts). Some vinegars may contain sulfites. Keep raw greens, their washing area and uncooked nettles separate from the finished pkhali and serving utensils. Wash hands, knives and surfaces after handling uncooked nettles. Use only positively identified edible plants and cook nettles until tender. Cool the finished mixture in a shallow tray and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C; use within 3–4 days. Avoid walnut cross-contact for anyone with a tree-nut allergy.

Serving cues

The mixture should be moist enough to hold a mound, with finely chopped leaves and walnut texture still visible.
Serve thoroughly chilled, shaped into small patties or mounds for a Georgian-style shared appetizer.

About Mindvris Pkhali (Imeretian Field Pkhali)

Ingredients

Greens

Walnut and herb mixture

For blanching and cooling

Method

Success points

Practical guidance

Estimated nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Serving cues

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