Name: Kakhetian Pickle Assortment — Mtsnili with Jonjoli
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 180 g commercially packed pickled jonjoli buds, drained; 180 g pickled cucumbers, drained and cut into 4 cm pieces; 180 g pickled green tomatoes, drained and quartered; 150 g pickled red bell peppers, drained and cut into strips; 150 g pickled red cabbage, drained; 90 g pickled garlic cloves, drained; 40 g red onion, thinly sliced; 10 g fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped; 20 ml Kakhetian sunflower oil; 10 ml red-wine vinegar

Separate bowls of Georgian pickles and a dressed jonjoli salad arranged across a table.

Yieldabout 1 kg, six side-dish servings

Serving basisabout 165 g

DifficultyEasy; drain and arrange the pickles without bruising them

Preparation20 minutes

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The dish

About Kakhetian Pickle Assortment — Mtsnili with Jonjoli

მწნილის ასორტი · about 1 kg · Easy · 20 minutes

Mtsnili is the Georgian table's assorted pickled vegetables: each pickle keeps its own shape and character, arranged together as a side dish. Kakhetian jonjoli is a distinctive part of this selection, while cucumbers, green tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and garlic add a range of crisp, tangy bites.

This version assembles commercially prepared, ready-to-eat pickles rather than fermenting or preserving vegetables at home. The jonjoli is tossed separately with thinly sliced red onion, fresh coriander, Kakhetian sunflower oil and a little red-wine vinegar, then placed beside the other pickles so their flavors stay distinct.

Drain the vegetables well and cut them into pieces that are easy to pick up with a fork. Serve the platter cool alongside beans, grilled foods or other supra dishes. Since the individual pickles are already seasoned and salted, the recipe adds no extra salt.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Kakhetian Pickle Assortment — Mtsnili with Jonjoli

About 1 kg / 6 side-dish servings

180 gcommercially packed pickled jonjoli buds, drained
180 gpickled cucumbers, drained and cut into 4 cm pieces
180 gpickled green tomatoes, drained and quartered
150 gpickled red bell peppers, drained and cut into strips
150 gpickled red cabbage, drained
90 gpickled garlic cloves, drained
40 gred onion, thinly sliced
10 gfresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
20 mlKakhetian sunflower oil
10 mlred-wine vinegar

Method

Prepare the serving area. Wash your hands and set out a clean platter, cutting board and utensils. Drain each ready-to-eat pickle separately. Do not reuse the packing brine.
Cut the vegetables. Cut the cucumbers into 4 cm pieces and quarter the green tomatoes. Slice the peppers into strips. Keep the cabbage and garlic in bite-size pieces.
Dress the jonjoli. In a small bowl, gently toss the drained jonjoli with the red onion, coriander, sunflower oil and red-wine vinegar.
Arrange the platter. Place the dressed jonjoli and the remaining pickles in separate groups on the platter so each type stays distinct.
Serve cool. Set out the platter with a clean fork for each group. Keep it chilled until serving and return it to refrigeration within 2 hours if it has been sitting out.

Excerpt

Build a Georgian pickle platter with jonjoli, cucumbers, green tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and garlic. Dress the jonjoli with red onion, coriander, Kakhetian sunflower oil and a little vinegar.

Practical guidance

Use sealed, in-date jars or packages and follow the storage instructions on each label after opening. Do not use a jar with a broken seal, bulging lid or damaged contents. Choose food-grade, commercially packed jonjoli; the wild bladdernut plant is endangered, so do not forage its buds.

The pickles are already seasoned, so taste before adding anything. Drain them thoroughly to keep their packing brines from running together on the platter. If the jonjoli tastes especially salty, briefly rinse it in cold water and drain it well before adding the onion dressing.

This is a fresh platter made from preserved vegetables, not a recipe for fermenting or canning them. Keep the ingredients refrigerated at or below 4 °C / 40 °F, use clean utensils, and do not leave the assembled platter at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and follow the package guidance for opened pickles.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving (approximate)

Serving size: about 165 g
Energy: 74 kcal
Carbohydrates: 12.5 g
Protein: 2.1 g
Fat: 2.8 g
Fibre: 3.2 g
Sodium: 760 mg

Allergens and food safety

No major allergen is intentionally added by this recipe, but commercial pickles may contain or share facilities with allergens; check every package label. Use clean hands and utensils, keep the vegetables chilled at or below 4 °C / 40 °F, and refrigerate the assembled platter within 2 hours. Do not reuse brine that has held vegetables. This assembly is not shelf-stable and must not be stored at room temperature.

To serve

Offer the platter cool as a sharp, crunchy side for beans, grilled meat or a larger supra table.
Keep the different vegetables in separate clusters so guests can choose the pickles they enjoy.