Пхали из свёклы (Beet Pkhali)

Georgian Fast Without Oil Published April 10, 2026

Beet pkhali is the ruby-red jewel of the Georgian fasting table. The technique is identical to spinach pkhali — cooked vegetable bound with spiced walnut paste — but the flavor is entirely different. Earthy, sweet beets meet the sharp richness of walnuts and garlic, and the result is something that looks like it belongs in an art gallery and tastes like it belongs at a feast.

Beet pkhali is a strict-fast recipe by nature, needing no oil at all. The walnuts do all the heavy lifting. Serve it alongside spinach pkhali for a stunning two-toned fasting meze.

FASTING LEVEL: Strict Fast (no oil required)
SERVINGS: 6 (as appetizer)
TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes (mostly hands-off beet roasting)

INGREDIENTS

- 500g beets (about 3 medium), scrubbed
- 150g walnuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon blue fenugreek (utskho suneli)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste
- Pomegranate seeds for garnish

METHOD

1. Wrap the beets individually in foil and roast at 200°C/400°F for 50-60 minutes until a knife slides through easily. Alternatively, boil them unpeeled for 40-50 minutes. Let cool until handleable, then peel. The skins should slip right off.

2. Grate the beets on the coarse side of a box grater or pulse briefly in a food processor. You want a rough texture, not a purée. Squeeze out excess liquid with your hands — beets are wet and will make the pkhali soggy if you skip this.

3. Grind the walnuts, garlic, onion, coriander, blue fenugreek, and cayenne in a food processor to a coarse paste.

4. Combine the grated beets and walnut paste in a large bowl. Add the cilantro and vinegar. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Season with salt.

5. Form into small balls or press into a mound on a serving plate. Indent the tops of the balls with your thumb.

6. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.

NOTES

- Wear gloves when handling beets unless you want magenta hands for a day.
- Squeezing the liquid from the grated beets is the most important step. Wet beets make watery pkhali.
- The beets can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
- For a striking presentation, arrange beet pkhali (red), spinach pkhali (green), and cabbage pkhali (white) on a single platter — the colors of the Georgian flag, incidentally, though that is not the point.