These Georgian Eggplant Rolls With Walnut Filling are a delightfully simply, healthy vegan appetizer. Three ingredients, some artfully chosen spices, and less than an hour of time and you have a vegan treat for the tastebuds with these walnut stuffed eggplant rolls.
This post was originally published on Oct 21, 2015 and updated on Sept 18, 2019 by Elena Szeliga.
The country of Georgia is known for its natural beauty and its culinary excellence.
This simple Georgian appetizer of eggplant rolls with walnut filling is one of the best treats you'll try from the region!
Georgian appetizer recipes are traditionally flavorful and uniquely ethnic, focusing on local produce and spices; you can make these simple eggplant rolls in your own home and savor those same flavors.
If you've never had food from this tiny nation nestled in the heart of the Caucasian mountains, you're in for a real treat.
These eggplant rolls are perfect for a festive holiday table and make for a great vegan appetizer for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They taste great served with German mulled wine (Gluhwein). Serve these German Christmas cookies for dessert and you are all set 🙂
If you have leftover walnuts, use them for these delicious salted caramel candied walnuts with rosemary for a nice holiday snack or homemade gift 🙂
Make sure to check other vegan Thanksgiving menu ideas like best vegan appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, sides and desserts, as well as 50 best vegan Christmas recipes.
Cooking Georgian Food At Home
Georgian cuisine has absorbed the best culinary traditions of the Caucasus, Middle East and the Black Sea region and the result is rich, savory, decadent flavors in luxurious, yet simple dishes.
These walnut stuffed eggplant rolls are simply made with eggplant, walnut, and khmeli suneli seasoning and make the best vegan (and gluten-free!) appetizer or light starter to a meal.
Most of Georgia's native food is simple, yet vibrant in flavor.
Their cuisine reflects their cultural love of meat and wine, fresh vegetables and nuts, cheeses and condiments (like the famous plum sauce - tkemali), spices and herbs.
Tomatoes, eggplants, cilantro, walnuts, lamb, cheese-filled breads, tarragon, basil and coriander are commonly used and widely appreciated.
Their native cuisine is one of the region's best kept secrets and if you've never tried it, it's time to treat your palate and give this recipe a whirl!
How Do You Make Healthy Stuffed Eggplant Rolls?
Traditionally, eggplant is deep fried and then used for rolls. That makes your eggplant entirely too dense for an appetizer, which is what these stuffed walnut rolls are meant to be.
That is why for this stuffed eggplant appetizer, you'll be baking your eggplant "noodles" before stuffing and rolling them.
This allows for a much lighter flavor, as they aren't soaked with oil.
Instead of feeling heavy after enjoying this meatless stuffed baked eggplant treat, you will still have room to enjoy a nice meal like this vegan casserole or salad after.
Baking the eggplant keeps it light and refreshing and allows the stuffing to be the showcase flavor.
How To Make This Easy Stuffed Baked Eggplant Recipe
While this recipe looks like you'd have slaved over it all day long, this meatless stuffed baked eggplant recipe is actually quite easy to make. See the quick step-by-step instructions in this eggplant rolls story.
Georgian eggplant rolls have a walnut filling that comes together simply, so there's nothing challenging here.
Preparing Eggplant For Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
The easiest way to make your eggplant noodles for rolling is to slice them lengthwise with a very sharp knife.
Then lay them on a greased baking sheet that you've prepared with non-stick cooking spray.
Spritz the top of the eggplant with the spray as well, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake 15 minutes on each side and then let cool before filling.
Meatless Filling For Vegan Baked Stuffed Eggplant Rolls
The meatless stuffing for this eggplant dish is made with crushed walnuts, garlic, coriander, salt and pepper, and khmeli suneli. Simply add 1-2 tablespoons of filling, roll it up, and enjoy.
You can use a mortar and pestle or food processor to chop your walnuts finely (see photo for consistency).
Don't add in the water all at once, but rather pour it in a little at a time until you reach the right consistency for a filling.
Then add 1-2 tablespoons per eggplant slice and roll them up.
Cook’s Tips
- Bake the eggplant noodles in a big batch. Freeze anything extra and simply defrost and roll them up with the walnut filling once you are ready to serve them. You can also use them for vegan eggplant lasagna.
- If there are any leftovers, keep them in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
- Keep frozen eggplant noodles up to three months in your freezer.
- Serve these rolls with refreshing ayran in summer or gluhwein for festive season.
- Make your own khmeli suneli seasoning or order it on Amazon.
Recipe Variations
- You can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead of fresh garlic to tone the garlic flavor down.
- Replace walnuts with cashew or macadamia nuts. The flavor won't be the same but the rolls still taste great. Alternatively, use vegan tofu ricotta instead of nuts.
- Try using Italian seasoning, Ras-el-Hanout or curry powder if you can't find khmeli suneli and don't have ingredients to make it at home. Obviously, the flavor will be different but also good.
If you enjoyed this recipe, consider giving it a 5-star rating! Your support means a lot to me!
Georgian Eggplant Rolls with Walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized eggplants
- salt
- black pepper
- cooking spray
- 150 grams or 1 ½ cups walnuts
- 100 ml or ½ cup very hot water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon khmeli suneli
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF). Slice your eggplants lengthwise with a sharp knife. Spray the baking tray with cooking spray and arrange eggplant slices on it. You may need more than one baking tray for this amount of eggplants. Lightly spray the
tops of the eggplant slices with cooking spray, then sprinkle with salt and
black pepper. Bake 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for 15 minutes more
- Meanwhile prepare the filling: crush the walnuts with a mortar and pestle until they look like on the picture above. Add minced garlic, khmeli suneli, ground coriander, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix everything and slowly add hot water in the bowl, stirring constantly, until you like the consistency. Don't pour in all the water at once, as you may not need that exact amount.
- Fill each eggplant slice with 1-2 heaped teaspoons of the walnut mixture and roll. Optional: garnish with pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Cook’s Tips
- Bake the eggplant noodles in a big batch. Freeze anything extra and simply defrost and roll them up with the walnut filling once you are ready to serve them. You can also use them for vegan eggplant lasagna.
- If there are any leftovers, keep them in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
- Keep frozen eggplant noodles up to three months in your freezer.
- Serve these rolls with refreshing ayran in summer or gluhwein for festive season.
- Make your own khmeli suneli seasoning or order it on Amazon.
Recipe Variations
- You can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead of fresh garlic to tone the garlic flavor down.
- Replace walnuts with cashew or macadamia nuts. The flavor won't be the same but the rolls still taste great. Alternatively, use vegan tofu ricotta instead of nuts.
- Try using Italian seasoning, Ras-el-Hanout or curry powder if you can't find khmeli suneli and don't have ingredients to make it at home. Obviously, the flavor will be different but also good.
Nutrition
This is the original picture to this post published on Oct 21, 2015.
Arthur says
It’s been 4 consecutive years I’ve been doing this recipe for Christmas dinner here in Brazil and my family keeps asking me to do it and I’m bigger batches. Everyone goes crazy with it. It also helps me to show them vegan food can be extremely tasteful. Thank you for this recipe!
Elena Szeliga says
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback, Arthur!
Amy Lancisi says
Any recommendations on a good main dish to have with this on the side?
Elena Szeliga says
Hi Amy, if you are looking for traditional Georgian main dishes to compliment the eggplant rolls, you have a variety of options: Chakhokhbili (vegetarian stew), Kharcho (hearty beef soup, Khinkali (Georgian dumplings), any kind of grolled food (like chicken tabaka or shashlyk), Satsivi (walnut chicken), Chakhokhbili (chicken tomato stew), etc. You can also serve it with Khachapuri (traditional cheese-filled bread), Lobio (bean salad), Pkhali (cold spinach or beet appetizer). The choice is all yours 🙂
Ediblethings_Mel says
We made this recipe for one of our last Veganuary dinners. We ate it with pomegranate, spinach and sauced it with pomegranate molassses, since it's not plum season. They are so good! It's amazing what sensational flavour is possible with so few ingredients. I'll be making these regularly from now on.
I've bookmarked your Tkemali recipe for when plums are back in season, and I can't wait to match these up.
Elena Szeliga says
Amazing! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback 🙂
Lindsey says
Delicious! These will be a new staple in our home. My husband who doesn't really care for eggplant loved them. I found that I had to add a bit more water and maybe a 1/4 tsp more of khmeli suneli. I also used 2 eggplants and used all the walnut mix. I might try garlic powder next time or one clove of garlic (the garlic I used was very potent). I couldn't fine pomegranate so I soaked some cranberries in pomegranate juice, could also use a drizzle of pomegranate molasses as an alternative. Can wait to make these again!
Elena Szeliga says
Hi Lindsey, thank you for your feedback! I love how you got creative with cranberries soaked in pomegranate juice. So so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Igor says
After my daughter's successful attempt in making pkhali following your recipe I was so tempted to prepare this dish. I really enjoy the mixture of flavours between aubergine and garlic. This appetiser goes perfect with a glass of red wine! Delicious!
Elena Szeliga says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Jane says
I absolutely loved your recipe! I thought it would be difficult to prepare this dish but your step by step instructions made it so simple. I also appreciated additional tips, I substituted garlic with the powder as i wanted taste to be milder. Also i didnt have hmeli suneli so i used italian seasoning. I prepared this dish as an appetiser for my friend from Georgia and he absolutely loved it too!! Looks and tastes amazing!!!
Elena Szeliga says
I'm glad that you and your Georgian friend enjoyed the rolls! 🙂
Kim Quinn says
This is my first tI'm reading your blog and enjoy it so much. I came across it looking for this recipe and had just finished watching a YouTube video titled Burger land by womocoCooks. This recipe was served. Looks so delicious!
My question i $ about the nuts. I can shop only once a month. If you have no walnuts may almonds be substituted? Or will it not taste good? Appreciate your reply. Greetings from my corner of Massachusetts, USA!
Elena Szeliga says
Hi Kim, I'm so glad you enjoy the recipe! Traditionally these rolls are made with walnuts. I'm not sure about almonds since the texture and the flavor won't be the same. Maybe cashews would work better? Hope it helps!
SBiL says
I went to Georgia last year and visited Sighnaghi winery where they served this dish.
I don't like eggplant at all (up until now) but when I tried this dish, wow! It was just so good.
When I transitioned to plant based diet few months back, I remembered this dish. Now I have been experimenting, trying to copy that dish.
Thanks for this recipe! I will try it this weekend.
Thanks
Elena Szeliga says
Hi! I'm so glad this dish brought up your memories from a wonderful trip! I also thought I don't like eggplants, up until I tried them cooked right. I hope you will enjoy this recipe and I'd be happy for your feedback once you try the recipe! Cheers!
Tharana rasheed says
I loved this dish when I was in Georgia last week... thanks for sharing the recipe. Could you also try sharing the recipe of their khinkali(dumplings)?
Elena Szeliga says
Hi Tharana, I'm so glad you like the recipe! As for khinkali, my blog is vegetarian, so I wouldn't post this recipe but I found one for you that seems to be quite authentic: Khinkali Qvelit. I hope it helps! 🙂
Maria Aprodu says
They look so good!!!
Elena Szeliga says
Thank you, Maria! 🙂