Adjika – spicy spread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g red pointed peppers
• 500 g tomatoes
• 500 g onion(s)
• 500 g carrot(s)
• 100 ml oil
• 1 bulb(s) garlic
• 100 ml vinegar
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 chili peppers
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 peppercorns, crushed
• 3 allspice berries, crushed

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 day 1 hour 30 minutes

Georgian spice paste Ukrainian style

Clean the vegetables, chop them in batches with the chili peppers in a food processor or mince them. Place the chopped vegetables and spices in a large pot with oil and sauté for about an hour, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking time, press the garlic into the adjika and add the vinegar. Season to taste, adding more seasoning if desired, and remove the bay leaf. You can adjust the spiciness and seasoning to your own taste. While the adjika is still hot, pour it into sterile screw-top jars and seal them. Turn the jars upside down, cover, and let cool slowly overnight. It will keep for up to a year. The jars can be sterilized in the oven at 100°C for about 15 minutes, then briefly boil the lids in a pot of water. Adjika is actually a traditional Georgian spice paste with plenty of coriander, garlic, chili, salt, and other aromatic herbs. The Ukrainian version of adjika is slightly different and contains ingredients grown in Ukrainian vegetable gardens. It is eaten cold on bread, as a seasoning sauce for meat or with salo (green bacon).