Бадриджани (Badrijani — Eggplant with Walnut Paste)

Georgian Fast With Oil Published April 10, 2026

Badrijani nigvzit — eggplant rolls stuffed with spiced walnut paste — is the dish that people who have visited Georgia cannot stop talking about. Slices of fried eggplant are spread with a dense, garlicky walnut-herb filling, rolled up, and garnished with pomegranate seeds. Every bite is rich, aromatic, and deeply satisfying.

Georgians do not treat fasting food as deprivation. Badrijani is proof: it appears at feasts and fasts alike, because it is simply too good to reserve for either. The walnut paste provides the protein and fat that make this a real meal, not a garnish.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast With Oil (the eggplant requires frying; for strict days, grill or bake the eggplant slices instead)
SERVINGS: 6 (as appetizer/meze)
TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 3 medium eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 5mm-thick planks
- Sunflower oil for frying (or brush lightly with oil for baking)
- Salt for salting the eggplant

For the walnut paste:
- 200g walnuts
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried marigold petals
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons warm water
- Salt to taste
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish

METHOD

1. Salt the eggplant slices generously on both sides and let them sit in a colander for 20 minutes. This draws out bitterness and excess moisture. Pat very dry with towels.

2. Heat 1cm of sunflower oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until golden on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. (For strict days: brush slices lightly with water, season, and grill on a hot grill pan or bake at 200°C/400°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping once.)

3. Make the walnut paste: grind the walnuts, garlic, coriander, blue fenugreek, marigold, and cayenne in a food processor until you get a coarse, spreadable paste. Add the vinegar and enough warm water to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency. Stir in the cilantro. Season with salt.

4. Spread a generous tablespoon of walnut paste along the length of each eggplant slice. Roll up from the wider end.

5. Arrange the rolls seam-side down on a platter. Garnish each roll with a few pomegranate seeds and a cilantro leaf.

6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving — they are best cold or at room temperature.

NOTES

- The walnut paste (nigvzis sakmazi) is one of the foundational sauces of Georgian cuisine. Master it and you can fill eggplant, top vegetables, dress salads, and sauce grilled mushrooms.
- Choose eggplants that are long and slender rather than round — they yield better slices for rolling.
- These keep refrigerated for 2 days and actually improve as the flavors meld.
- You can thin the leftover walnut paste with more vinegar and water to use as a dipping sauce.