Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 red beets to obtain 6 ounces / 170 grams when cooked and peeled (see Note below)

For the walnut sauce

• 1 1/2 ounces / 42 grams walnuts, preferably freshly shelled
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced red spring onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• A small pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml water
• 3/4 tablespoon / 11.25 ml sherry vinegar

For the pkhali

• The roasted red beets from above
• The walnut sauce from above
• 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• Fine sea salt, if needed, to taste

Instructions

Note: If possible, purchase red beets with their greens. Cut off the greens about 1 inch / 2.5 cm from the root and consume them as soon as possible like you would other types of dark leafy greens. (You can also use them, together with spinach, to make Spinach Pkhali) For efficiency’s sake, I recommend that you roast more beets than you need for the recipe and add the extra ones to a soup or salad.

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Scrub the red beets well. Wrap each beet in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Put the beets in the oven and roast them until easily pierced with a blade. Check after 45-60 minutes (depending on the beets’ size) and gauge the cooking time remaining.

Let the red beets cool until easy to handle, then slip off the skin. Weigh the amount you need for the recipe. Cut the beets in bite-sized pieces and set them aside.

To make the walnut sauce
Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.

Distribute the walnuts on an unlined baking sheet or cookie sheet and place in the oven. Roast the walnuts for a few minutes until they smell fragrant. Remove them from the sheet and let them cool.

Ground the walnuts in a food processor. Place the ground walnuts in a bowl and add all the other sauce ingredients. Mix well and set aside.

To make the pkhali
Process the roasted red beets until coarsely minced. Add to the bowl with the walnut sauce. Mix well.

Add the other pkhali ingredients and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (6 to 8 is better).

Take out of the refrigerator the pkhali ahead of time, spread it on a serving plate and smooth the top with a spatula. (I shaped it more like a low mound.) With a knife, make a pattern of diamonds on the top.

Serve at room temperature.

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