კომბოსტოს ფხალი — Raw Cabbage and Walnut Pkhali Salad

Georgian Xerophagy Published June 11, 2026

On the strictest fasting days — when nothing is cooked and no oil touches the plate — Georgia still eats well. This raw pkhali-style salad keeps the soul of the dish: finely shredded cabbage and carrot massaged with a pounded walnut, garlic, and coriander dressing, sharpened with vinegar and studded with pomegranate. The salt and acid wilt the cabbage just enough to soften it without any heat, and the walnuts make it substantial in a way that raw vegetables alone never are. It is bright, crunchy, sour, and genuinely filling.

Because it is uncooked and oil-free, this dish belongs squarely on xerophagy days. The walnuts provide the only fat, and they provide it honestly. On less strict days you may serve it alongside cooked beans or bread; on the strictest, pair it simply with a piece of bread and water and call it a meal.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy (raw, no oil)
SERVINGS: 4
TIME: 20 minutes (plus 15 minutes resting)

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 small head green cabbage (about 500g), cored
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 1 cup (100g) walnut halves
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander, plus 1/4 cup fresh chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marigold (Imeretian saffron)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

METHOD

1. Shred the cabbage as finely as you can with a sharp knife or mandoline. Coarsely grate the carrots. Put both in a large bowl with the salt and massage firmly with your hands for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage softens and begins to release water.

2. Pound the walnuts and garlic into a coarse paste with a mortar and pestle, then work in the ground coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold, and cayenne. Loosen the paste with the vinegar and 2 tablespoons cold water until it is spoonable.

3. Add the walnut dressing to the cabbage and carrots along with the sliced red onion and fresh cilantro. Toss thoroughly with your hands so every shred is coated.

4. Let the salad rest 15 minutes so the cabbage continues to wilt and drink up the dressing. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar.

5. Pile onto a platter and shower with pomegranate seeds. Serve cool.

NOTES

- Everything here is raw and oil-free, making this safe for the strictest fast days.
- Add a finely shredded raw beet for color and earthiness, or swap in raw kale for a sturdier salad.
- For more protein and bulk on a non-xerophagy day, fold in a cup of cooked, cooled chickpeas.
- Best eaten the day it is made while the cabbage still has crunch.