Badridschani Georgian Aubergine Rolls

Embark on a culinary journey and make these simple Georgian badridshani - aubergine rolls filled with walnut paste and garnished with pomegranate seeds. They are nutty, flavoursome and simply delicious. Treat the aubergine slices first with some salt, which helps draw the water out of the aubergine, so they won't become mushy after grilling. You can take Badridzhanis to your next gathering as finger food or serve them as an appetiser at a dinner party. In Georgia, these walnut stuffed aubergine rolls are traditionally enjoyed with bread and white wine, or served as a hearty side dish with grilled meat.

2 Aubergines (800 g-1 kg)
Sea salt
150 g Walnut, roughly chopped
10 g Cilantro
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Fenugreek powder
2 tbsp Walnut oil
Freshly milled black pepper
Olive oil
100 g Pomegranate seeds

Cut the aubergines into 5mm-7mm thick slices lengthwise. Arrange them on a large tray so that they do not overlap, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes.
Place the walnuts, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, spices and walnut oil in a food processor or blender. Process until it has formed a paste. If it's too thick, add a bit of water.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a griddle pan. Dry the eggplant slices and cook them in batches until they are beautifully charred, 5-8 minutes, turn and cook the other side for a further 5 minutes.
Spread about one tablespoon of the walnut cream on the thick end of each eggplant slice, add in a few pomegranate seeds and roll everything up.
Garnish with extra cilantro and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

10 comments:

Tom 23/12/24 12:31: ...Angie, your culinary creations are endless!
Granny Sue 23/12/24 12:44: Those are too pretty to eat! Thank you for the tip about salting the slices before grilling. I have tried to grill eggplant before with not the best results.
eileeninmd 23/12/24 12:46: Looks pretty and delicious!
Take care, have a wonderful day and a happy holiday week!
David M. Gascoigne, 23/12/24 13:03: They look wonderful and I bet they taste great too.
DEZMOND 23/12/24 13:18: They are very decorative and so nice that they are vegetarian. I do sometimes make walnut vegetarian meatballs.
Judee 23/12/24 13:54: Look beautiful and sound delicious. What a wonderful recipe.
My name is Erika. 23/12/24 14:30: Its always fun to see what creative cooking you've been up to. This is a really pretty way to serve (what we call) eggplant. I bet its tasty too. If I don't stop by in the next few days, have a wonderful holiday if you celebrate.
Anonymous 23/12/24 16:15: Yummy -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ashok 23/12/24 16:21: Yummy
Anonymous 23/12/24 17:32: Thank you for this beautiful recipe, Angie, and an introduction to some Georgian cuisine. I love eggplant rolls, but I usually fill them with cheese. These will be a nice change. David (C&L)