Eggplants as mushrooms for the winter
6 servings
60 minutes
Eggplants like mushrooms for winter is an amazing recipe from Russian cuisine that transforms a familiar vegetable into something completely new. Thanks to the combination of spices and marinade, eggplants acquire a texture and taste reminiscent of pickled mushrooms. This cooking method comes from traditional home canning when housewives sought ways to preserve the harvest for long winter months. Pickled eggplants with garlic, aromatic spices, and vegetable oil become a true delicacy that pairs wonderfully with onions and fresh herbs. They can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or added to salads. The juiciness of the eggplants, their spicy flavor, and slight acidity make this dish unique and indispensable on the winter table.
1
Prepare all ingredients. Sterilize jars over steam for 20 minutes.
2
Peel the eggplants and cut them into large pieces about 3 cm on each side.
3
Pour water into a large pot, add salt, sugar, bay leaf, allspice, cloves, coriander, and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Water: 1 l
- Salt: 20 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
- Allspice berries: 3 pieces
- Cloves: 2 pieces
- Mustard seeds: 0.5 teaspoon
- Coriander seeds: 0.5 teaspoon
4
Add vinegar to the marinade and mix.
- 9% table vinegar: 90 ml
5
Add the prepared eggplants to the pot and boil for 3-5 minutes without a lid, pressing them down with a slotted spoon.
- Eggplant: 1.2 kg
6
Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
7
Drain the eggplants in a sieve, the marinade is no longer needed. The cloves and bay leaves should also be discarded.
8
Chop the garlic finely.
- Garlic: 1 head
9
In a large skillet, heat all the vegetable oil and sauté the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Vegetable oil: 220 ml
- Garlic: 1 head
10
Add the eggplants and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring.
- Eggplant: 1.2 kg
11
Place the eggplants in jars, trying not to pack them tightly but also avoiding air bubbles. Pour the remaining oil from the pan and seal. Turn the jars upside down, wrap them in a blanket, and let them cool completely, then store in a dark, cool place.
- Eggplant: 1.2 kg
- Vegetable oil: 220 ml
12
Serve eggplants like mushrooms, with fresh onion or herbs.
