Homemade Ajvar

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 3 red peppers
• 1 eggplant(s)
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chili pepper(s), fresh
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili flakes, if needed
• some water
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Preserving Ajvar

Sterilized preserving jars are required. Wash the peppers, quarter them, and remove the seeds and white pith. Bake (grill) skin-side up in a preheated oven at approximately 220 degrees Celsius (425 degrees Fahrenheit) until the skin turns black and blisters in places (approx. 15-20 minutes). Pierce the eggplant all over with a fork and add it to the oven. Do the same with the chili pepper. Once the vegetables are cooked, remove them from the oven and place them in a freezer bag or other plastic bag and allow to warm to lukewarm. All vegetables will now be very easy to peel. In the meantime, chop the onions very finely and peel the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a pan until hot, but not too hot, add the onions, and cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. If you are preserving the ajvar, cook for a little longer. Add the tomato paste and mix. If desired, add 2 tablespoons of water and season with salt. Toast the chili flakes. Once the peppers, eggplant, and fresh chili have been peeled, finely chop them on a chopping board with a knife or herb crockery and then add to the onions. Crush in the garlic. Simmer for another 15 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently, while continuing to chop the vegetables with a spatula: some should be smooth, some chunky. Add a little more water if necessary. Pour the hot mixture into sterile jars and seal immediately, pressing down the mixture with a spoon to ensure no air is trapped. The ajvar will keep in its sealed state for two weeks in the refrigerator. It’s delicious on bread, added to goulash, for dipping (chips or vegetable sticks), with rice, as a sauce for minced meat, with cevapcici, for marinating meat, with grilled dishes, or with fondue.