Badrijani
Fried aubergine slices rolled around a thick walnut-and-garlic paste, finished with pomegranate seeds — a cold starter from the Georgian feast table.
About this dish
Badrijani nigvzit — literally "aubergine with walnut" — belongs to the family of cold, richly savoury starters that open a Georgian supra, the ceremonial feast table. Walnuts stand in for the cream or cheese another cuisine might reach for, ground fine enough to bind into a spreadable paste that clings to the fried aubergine rather than sliding off it. The dish keeps well cold, which is exactly the point: a supra runs for hours, and the starters have to survive sitting out on the table the whole time.
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Lactose-free
Ingredients
- 600gAubergine
- 10gFine sea salt
- 80mlSunflower oil
- 150gShelled walnuts
- 4clovesGarlic cloves
- 15mlWhite wine vinegar
- 15gFresh coriander
- 50gOnion
- 40gPomegranate seeds
Instructions
Slice the aubergine lengthways into planks about 5mm thick, salt both sides generously, and leave for 15 minutes.
15 minTip: Salting draws out the bitter juices aubergine is known for and stops the slices from drinking up the frying oil like a sponge. Pat them properly dry before they go anywhere near the pan.
Fry the aubergine slices in the oil in batches, about 2 minutes a side, until golden and tender, then drain on paper.
10 minTip: Don't crowd the pan — a slice touching its neighbour steams instead of browning, and a pale, limp badrijani is a badrijani that falls apart when you try to roll it.
Blitz the walnuts, garlic, vinegar, coriander and grated onion with a splash of water into a thick, spreadable paste.
8 minTip: The paste should hold a shape on the back of a spoon. Too thin and it seeps out of the rolls instead of staying put; a spoonful of water at a time gets you there without overshooting.
Spread a spoonful of the walnut paste along each aubergine slice and roll it up.
10 minTip: Roll from the narrower end so the last turn ends underneath — that's what keeps the roll closed on the plate without needing a cocktail stick.
Arrange the rolls seam-side down, scatter with pomegranate seeds and the remaining coriander, and chill briefly before serving.
2 minTip: Badrijani is meant to be eaten cool, not fridge-cold. Twenty minutes in the fridge firms the paste enough to slice cleanly; much longer and the aubergine loses the last of its give.