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Schwiliko

Stephanie Drescher ct | Daniela Schulz
May 24, 2017

Fried eggplant strips with walnut paste are a favorite appetizer in Georgia. In their restaurant Schwiliko, Rusudan Gorgiladze and her daughter Inga explain the subtleties of Georgian cuisine.

https://p.dw.com/p/2YlSB
Eggplant spread on bread (Photo: Lena Ganssmann)
Image: Lena Ganssmann

Video: Cooking step-by-step, Badrijani, Georgia

 

Mother, daughter, and son-in-law - a winning combination? In this case, yes!

Rusudan Gorgiladze, Inga Akhvlediani, and Tosh Dirschka are the three minds behind Schwiliko restaurant, which that opened in 2015. The friendly and inviting demeanors of Rusudan Gorgiladze and her daughter Inga make them excellent hosts. The restaurant's vibe and ambience and the food all speak for themselves. Rusudan Gorgiladze and her husband, a German studies specialist, moved from Georgia to Berlin in 2004. That was following Georgia's "Rose Revolution." But she was lonely here, so she asked her daughter Inga, who was living in Istanbul at the time, to join her. Inga came - and she promptly decided to stay.

Mother and daughter team Rusudan Gorgiladze and Inga Akhvlediani from Schwiliko (Photo: Lena Ganssmann)
Rusudan Gorgiladze and Inga Akhvlediani Image: Lena Ganssmann

Schwiliko in Berlin-Kreuzberg

In 2008, Inga Akhvlediani and her husband Tosh opened the Homes Bar in Kreuzberg, where they also offered an array of Georgian snack foods. These were so popular that the idea of opening a restaurant was hatched. In 2015, the time was right. Since then mother, daughter and son-in-law run Schwiliko.

50 Kitchens, One City: Georgia

 

Badrijani (Eggplant with walnuts)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
500 g eggplants
100 g ground walnuts
1 small white onion
2 small garlic cloves
Handful coriander and parsley leaves
1/2 t ground coriander seed
1/2 t ground fenugreek seed
1/2 t ground marigold (tagetes)
1 pinch of cinnamon
Salt and chili
Sunflower seed oil
Pomegranate seeds as garnish

Preparation:

Cut eggplants in slices 4-5 cm in length and 0.5 cm thick. Salt eggplant slices and allow to sit for two to three hours. Squeeze to remove water and fry both sides in sunflower seed oil. Place fried eggplant slices on a piece of paper towel.

Finely chop onions and sauté in oil, then place in a bowl together with all spices, pressed garlic cloves, ground walnut, salt, and chili. Pour in half a glass of water and use a hand mixer to process ingredients into a smooth paste.

Spread spice paste onto both sides of the strips of eggplant and roll strips into small individual rolls. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.  

Restaurant Schwiliko
Schlesische Str. 29
10997 Berlin

Tel.: +49 30 61623588

Schwiliko website