Name: Imeretian Eggplant with Walnuts (Imeretian badrijani nigvzit)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1 kg aubergines/eggplants, washed, stems removed and cut lengthwise into 6–8 mm sheets; 4 g fine salt for the eggplant; 120 ml sunflower oil for frying; the eggplant will not absorb it all; 300 g walnut kernels, finely ground but not turned into butter; 180 g yellow onion, about 2 medium, finely chopped; 6 g garlic, about 2 cloves, crushed or finely grated; 12 g fresh green chilli, 1 small, finely minced; remove seeds for milder heat; 20 g fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped; 4 g ground fenugreek, about 2 tsp; 2 g ground coriander seed, about 1 tsp; 60 ml wine vinegar, 4 tbsp; 120 ml boiled water, cooled until warm; add gradually; 2 g fine salt, or to taste; 20 g pomegranate seeds, optional

A long platter of Imeretian walnut-filled eggplant half-moons with a few pomegranate seeds.

Yield8 appetizer portions, about 2 pieces each

Active preparationabout 25 minutes

Cookingabout 30 minutes for pan-frying in batches

Passive time45 minutes for salting and cooling

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The dish

About Imeretian Eggplant with Walnuts (Imeretian badrijani nigvzit)

### ბადრიჯანი ნიგვზით იმერული

Imeretian eggplant with walnuts is a cool, savory salad of tender fried aubergine folded around a walnut paste brightened with fresh coriander, garlic, onion and vinegar. The walnut mixture is thick enough to sit inside each fold, yet soft enough to spread without breaking the eggplant.

Walnut-seasoned eggplant appears in many Georgian regional and household forms. This version follows the Imeretian fried-and-folded preparation: long eggplant sheets are salted, pan-fried and filled with a fresh-coriander walnut mixture. It is a practical home rendition of a documented household pattern, not a claim that every family seasons or shapes it identically.

The recipe makes eight appetizer portions, about two folded pieces each. Give the salted eggplant time to release moisture, fry it in batches, and let it cool before adding the filling. The salad is usually served cool; a little refrigeration also helps the walnut paste settle into the folds.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Imeretian Eggplant with Walnuts (Imeretian badrijani nigvzit)

Eggplant

1 kgaubergines/eggplants, washed, stems removed and cut lengthwise into 6–8 mm sheets
4 gfine salt for the eggplant
120 mlsunflower oil for frying; the eggplant will not absorb it all

Walnut filling

300 gwalnut kernels, finely ground but not turned into butter
180 gyellow onion, about 2 medium, finely chopped
6 ggarlic, about 2 cloves, crushed or finely grated
12 gfresh green chilli, 1 small, finely minced; remove seeds for milder heat
20 gfresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
4 gground fenugreek, about 2 tsp
2 gground coriander seed, about 1 tsp
60 mlwine vinegar, 4 tbsp
120 mlboiled water, cooled until warm; add gradually
2 gfine salt, or to taste

To serve

20 gpomegranate seeds, optional

Method

Salt the eggplant. Lay the slices in a colander, sprinkle with the 4 g salt and leave for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze each slice to remove released liquid without crushing it, then pat dry. Set out the remaining ingredients before heating the oil.
Fry in batches. Heat a thin layer of sunflower oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplant in a single layer, turning once, until golden in patches and tender enough to bend without splitting, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels and continue, adding oil as needed. Let the slices cool until easy to handle.
Make the walnut paste. Stir together the ground walnuts, onion, garlic, chilli, fresh coriander, fenugreek and ground coriander. Add the vinegar and 2 g salt. Mix in warm water a little at a time until the paste is thick, moist and spreadable. Taste and adjust only the salt within the stated amount.
Fill and fold. Spread a thin, even layer of walnut paste over each cooled slice, leaving a narrow edge clear. Fold each slice in half over the filling without pressing hard. Arrange in a shallow dish.
Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate until cool, if time allows. Scatter with the optional pomegranate seeds just before serving.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

Slice the eggplant evenly, about 6–8 mm thick. Thicker pieces take longer to soften; very thin slices can tear when folded.
Fry in a single layer and turn once the underside is golden and the flesh bends easily. Add oil between batches as needed, but do not let it smoke.
Add the warm water to the ground walnuts gradually. The paste should be moist and spreadable, not runny; the onion and herbs release extra moisture as they stand.

Practical guidance

If a slice tears, use it as a small base or patch and keep the walnut layer thinner; the dish does not need perfectly identical pieces.
If the walnut mixture feels dry, add warm water by the teaspoon. If it is loose, stir in a little more ground walnut from the measured amount reserved before mixing.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container at 4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days. Do not leave the moist walnut filling at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C. Serve cold or cool; discard food left out longer.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Approximate values for one of eight portions; optional pomegranate is included:

Energy: about 335 kcal.
Carbohydrates: about 16 g.
Protein: about 7 g.
Fat: about 29 g.
Fibre: about 7 g.
Sodium: about 300 mg.
Basis: generic USDA FoodData Central composition for 300 g walnuts, 1 kg eggplant, onion, garlic, coriander, chilli and pomegranate, plus 6 g salt and an estimated 40 ml sunflower oil retained from the 120 ml frying allowance. The batch total is approximately 2,680 kcal, 128 g carbohydrates, 56 g protein, 234 g fat, 55 g fibre and 2,400 mg sodium, divided by eight and rounded. Actual oil absorption and produce composition vary.

Allergens and food safety

Contains walnuts (tree nuts). Check packaged spices and vinegar for cross-contact if cooking for someone with a severe allergy. Keep the finished salad chilled: refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour when the room is hotter than 32°C. Store at 4°C or colder and use within 3–4 days. This is a moist prepared dish, not a preserve.

Serving and finish

The eggplant should be tender and flexible, with golden patches; the walnut paste should remain distinct and spoonable rather than oily or watery.
Serve cool, with the folded walnut-filled slices arranged on a platter. Pomegranate seeds and a few coriander leaves are optional garnishes.

About Imeretian Eggplant with Walnuts (Imeretian badrijani nigvzit)

Ingredients

Eggplant

Walnut filling

To serve

Method

Tips for success

Practical guidance

Estimated nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Serving and finish

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