Eggplant Rolls with Walnut Filling
This is not a dish to serve straight from the pan — warm, the rolls taste of almost nothing. Two hours in the fridge lets the walnut paste absorb the garlic and spices, firms the eggplant and pulls the flavours together. The other key is the paste itself: it should fall like thick sour cream, or it simply runs out of the roll onto the plate.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 2 h
- Total
- 2 h 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 290 kcal
Ingredients
Eggplant
Walnut filling
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What to use instead
No blue fenugreek? Use half a teaspoon of khmeli-suneli: a different flavour, but pointing the same way.
Makes: 18 rolls, serves 8
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Slice lengthways
Cut the eggplants into 7–8 mm planks. Thinner ones tear as you roll them; thicker ones refuse to bend and snap in half.
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Step 2: Salt the slices
Salt both sides and leave for 20 minutes, then blot dry. This draws out bitterness and stops the flesh drinking oil.
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Step 3: Fry until pliable
Fry in hot oil for 2–3 minutes a side until golden and flexible, then drain on kitchen paper.
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Step 4: Grind the walnuts
Blitz the nuts with garlic and spices to a damp crumb. Stop when the nut oil is just beginning to show — you do not want a smooth butter.
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Step 5: Loosen the paste
Add the vinegar, then cold water a spoonful at a time, working it in until the paste falls like thick sour cream. Stir in chopped coriander and salt.
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Step 6: Roll them up
Put a teaspoon of filling at the wide end of each slice and roll it up. Sit them seam side down so they hold together.
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Step 7: Chill for two hours
Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. This is a cold dish, and the flavour only really arrives in the fridge.
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Step 8: Serve
Scatter with pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves, and let the rolls stand 15 minutes at room temperature first.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Keep the pan properly hot: over low heat eggplant soaks up oil like a sponge and the rolls turn heavy and greasy.
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Variation
Half a teaspoon of ground chilli, or a pinch of Imeretian saffron, makes the filling hotter and a deeper gold.
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Swap
No blue fenugreek? Use half a teaspoon of khmeli-suneli: a different flavour, but pointing the same way.
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Storage
Up to 3 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Add the pomegranate only at serving — it bleeds juice quickly.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 8 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 290 kcal | 2,320 kcal |
| Protein | 6 g | 48 g |
| Fat | 24 g | 192 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 96 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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