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1
Slice and Salt the Eggplant
15 Mins, Plus 15 Mins Resting
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Trim the ends off the 2 eggplants and slice them lengthwise into 5 mm (1/4 inch) strips — you should get about 12 slices from 600 g. Lay them on a tray, sprinkle with half the salt (2 g) and leave for 15 minutes until beads of moisture appear.
Slice as evenly as you can; a thick slice will not roll, and a paper-thin one tears. A mandoline set to 5 mm makes this easy.
Done when: The slices look damp and slightly limp, with moisture beading on the surface.
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2
Make the Walnut Filling
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Toast the 150 g walnuts in a dry pan for 3 minutes until fragrant, then cool for 2 minutes. Tip them into a food processor with the grated garlic, 15 g of the chopped coriander, ground coriander, blue fenugreek, chilli flakes, the remaining 2 g of salt, the 15 ml red wine vinegar and 30 ml water. Blend until you have a thick paste the consistency of hummus, adding a teaspoon more water only if it will not spread.
Stop the processor and scrape the sides down once — a paste that is too runny leaks out of the rolls, so keep it thick.
Done when: The paste is smooth, pale brown, and holds its shape on a spoon.
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3
Fry the Eggplant
15 Mins
175°C (350°F)
Pat the eggplant slices completely dry with paper towels. Heat the sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers at about 175°C (350°F). Fry the slices in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until soft and lightly golden, then lift them onto a paper-towel-lined tray. About 40 g of the oil is absorbed in total.
Do not crowd the pan — slices that touch steam instead of frying and turn soggy.
Done when: The slices are golden at the edges, soft enough to bend without snapping, and no longer raw-white inside.
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4
Cool and Drain
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Leave the fried slices on the paper towels for 5 minutes until they are cool enough to handle and the surface oil has drained away.
Blot the tops gently with a second paper towel — dry slices grip the filling and roll neatly.
Done when: The slices are warm, not hot, and dry to the touch.
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5
Fill and Roll
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Lay a slice flat, spread about a tablespoon of walnut paste over the wide end, and roll it up firmly into a coil. Repeat with the remaining slices and paste, placing each roll seam-side down on a serving plate.
Spread the paste on the wide end only — paste spread over the whole slice squeezes out when you roll.
Done when: Each roll is a neat coil that holds its shape without a cocktail stick.
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6
Garnish and Serve
5 Mins
Serve at room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Scatter the 60 g pomegranate seeds and the remaining whole coriander leaves over the rolls. Serve at room temperature, or chill for up to 2 hours first — the flavours settle and the rolls slice cleanly when cold.
Chilling firms the filling, so if you serve them cold, take them out of the fridge 15 minutes before eating.
Done when: The rolls are glossy, ruby-flecked with pomegranate, and hold their shape when picked up.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the rolls at room temperature on a flat plate, scattered with pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves — they are at their best within a few hours of rolling, when the eggplant is still supple and the filling is cool and garlicky.
Georgia
1h 20m
