Eggplant caviar with hot pepper
4 servings
120 minutes
Eggplant caviar with hot pepper is a vibrant dish of Soviet cuisine that embodies the warmth of home and the taste of summer harvest. Baked eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers give the caviar a rich, slightly smoky aroma, while the combination of sweet and hot peppers adds zest. The light acidity of apple cider vinegar balances the flavor, and garlic and herbs complete the composition with bright accents. This dish is perfect as an appetizer or side dish. It pairs wonderfully with rye bread, meat and fish dishes, and makes an excellent winter preparation. Eggplant caviar with hot pepper is not just food; it’s a memory of family meals, cozy evenings, and traditions passed down through generations.
1
Thoroughly wash the ground eggplants and cut them in half without removing the stems.
- Eggplant: 1000 g
2
Do the same with tomatoes.
- Tomatoes: 500 g
3
Wash both types of peppers, remove the seeds, and cut them into 2 pieces.
- Bell pepper: 500 g
- Chili pepper: 2 pieces
4
Grease the oven rack, and ideally, the grill rack, with vegetable oil.
5
Place all the vegetables on a rack and quickly bake at 170 degrees. Eggplants and peppers take about 20-30 minutes. Tomatoes, depending on their size, take about 30-40 minutes.
6
While the vegetables are getting the right skin burn, we will prepare the sauté.
7
Grate the carrot on a fine grater and chop the onion into small cubes.
8
Sauté the carrots and onions in vegetable oil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Carrot: 250 g
- Onion: 300 g
9
Spray the prepared vegetables with icy water — this will make the skin come off instantly. Clean all the vegetables. It sounds labor-intensive, but it takes a maximum of 10 minutes — just in time for the frying to be ready.
10
Chop the tender flesh of the baked vegetables with a large knife almost into a puree.
11
Transfer to a sauté pan, add minced garlic and some herbs. Don't forget to add vinegar, salt, sugar, and black pepper; they should soak into the caviar.
- Garlic: 8 cloves
- Apple cider vinegar: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
12
Simmer with spices for about 30 minutes.
13
Add grated or crushed garlic and the remaining herbs.
- Garlic: 8 cloves
14
Prepared stew can be pasteurized in jars for winter.
