Nigvzis Sakmazi (Walnut Paste)
Nigvzis sakmazi, a garlicky walnut paste with fresh herbs, is a building block of many Georgian dishes. It’s wrapped with fried eggplant to makeGeorgian eggplant rollsand combined with chopped, cooked leafy greens to make apkhali, a vegetable pâté. Similar to pesto, it can be stirred into yogurt or sour cream to make a dip, thinned with water or olive oil for a salad dressing, or tossed with hot noodles. Traditionally, it is made using a mortar and pestle, but this quick version, from Tasting Georgia author Carla Capalbo, uses a food processor.
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Recipe Summary
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The finished recipe is great for later uses: It keeps tightly wrapped with plastic wrap in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze small batches, wrapped in aluminum foil, for quick use at a later date. Use it to make salad dressings (thin it with water or olive oil), dips for crudités (stir it into yogurt or sour cream), or tossed with hot noodles as a pesto alternative.