Ingredients
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Vegetables:
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1 kg of Aubergine/Eggplant
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500 kg of Paprika red
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250 g of Onion
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500 g of Tomato
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200 g of Carrot
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4 cloves of GarlicOr more
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3 tbsp. of Extra Virgin olive oil
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for frying Vegetable oilrefined oil
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Herbs & Spices:
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1 bunch of Coriander leaves
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1 bunch of Basil leaves
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1 tsp. of Utskho-suneli
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1 tsp. of Ground coriander
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to taste Cayenne pepperOr, fresh chili peppers
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1 tsp. of Imereti saffron
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to taste Salt
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to taste Grounded black pepper
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2 Bay leaf
Directions
Ajapsandali (Georgian stewed vegetables) is the most beautiful and flavorful dish of summer Georgian cuisine. The photo does not convey that, but it represents a good breakfast set:). Ajapsandali is often cooked from the ripest vegetables, usually grilled, then stewed with garlic and spices, adding fresh herbs. Mmmm, yummy! It’s generally eaten cold since it is summer, but you can also eat it warm if you like it that way.
As with any stewed vegetables and from any cuisine, the proportions are pretty loose. They vary depending on the availability of the vegetables. I will give you an approximate combination, which you can then change.
But! For it to turn out exactly like Ajapsandali, i.e. a Georgian dish and not just stewed vegetables, you need to have very important and must-have ingredients. Eggplants are the base of this dish, along with tomatoes and sweet peppers. Blue fenugreek (uccho-suneli) plays a critical role among spices. Plus, this dish includes a lot of fresh basil and coriander. Also, this dish is made spicy, but here I would not force it. Make a comfortable spice as you like.
If it’s grilling season, the vegetables can be grilled on it and then stewed. I will give you the home cooking option.
Bon Appétit!
Today's visits: 1.
Steps
1
Done
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Dice the eggplants into large cubes of 2 to 3 cm. Then place them in a colander, sprinkle with coarse salt and let them rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Moreover, if previously, this procedure was explained by the need to get rid of eggplant bitterness, now the eggplant varieties are no longer bitter. However, for our dish, we will fry eggplants in oil so we need to get rid of excess moisture. |
2
Done
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Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Bake red bell peppers for about 10 to 15 minutes on each side. The peppers should become soft, with the skin blackened and peeled off in some places. Put the cooked bell peppers in a bowl or saucepan, cover them with a lid and let cool slightly. Then remove the transparent skin, remove the seeds and cut the pepper lengthwise into 1 cm thick strips. |
3
Done
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When the eggplants have drained, dry them with a paper towel while slightly squeezing out the remaining moisture. |
4
Done
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Slice the onion and carrot into thin half rings and chop the greens with a medium chop. |
5
Done
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Preheat the olive oil in a cauldron or saucepan with a thick bottom, and sauté the onions and carrots over medium heat until soft and golden for about 15 minutes. |