Ajvar sauce: Serbian pepper recipe for the winter

A little history

The first recipe for ajvar appeared in the works of culinary specialists of the Ottoman Empire. The meticulous chefs described in detail the necessary ingredients and preparation. The concept of “ayvar” exists only in Turkish and means caviar. But it has nothing to do with fish. What was meant here was vegetable caviar, made from a whole set of vegetables prepared in a certain way with the addition of hot spices.

Aivar quickly spread to the territories of states bordering Turkey, along the sea routes of the Black, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, from there it came to Europe.

The Serbs especially liked ajvar and became a traditional snack for the common people. Among gourmet connoisseurs, Serbian ajvar sauce has long been considered the most harmonious in terms of the ratio and selection of components.

Nowadays, people have learned to prepare ajvar on an industrial scale, unfortunately, adding artificial preservatives, thickeners and sweeteners. Despite this, ajvar has gained its admirers in many parts of the world, mainly among spicy lovers.

Nuances of preparation

Ajvar sauce can be prepared according to different recipes, depending on taste preferences. The classic dish contains red pepper, chili, garlic, but you can add tomatoes or eggplant.

According to the traditional recipe, peppers are baked until a black crust appears on their surface - this is important. After the peppers are removed from the oven, they need to be allowed to cool. Only if you follow this rule will ajvar turn out to be truly tasty.

Selection and preparation of main ingredients

To prepare this classic dish you will need the following ingredients:

pepper of any color, but red is better - 3 kg;
garlic – 10 cloves;
two onions;
chili - 1 piece;
sunflower oil – 250 ml;
apple cider vinegar – 100 ml;
salt - optional;
sugar – 1 tbsp. l.

The products must be fresh, but if there are spoiled places on the pepper, they can be easily cut off before baking in the oven.

How to choose the right one

Particular attention is paid to vegetable oil. You can use oil to taste: sunflower, olive, sesame, walnut oil, corn. The traditional recipe specifies sunflower or olive. Depending on what kind of oil is used, the taste of the dish may change and acquire unusual notes.

There are no special requirements for the selection of products. The main thing is that the peppers, tomatoes and eggplants are fresh and free of mold.

Cooking secrets

Ajvar is a dish that requires care, skill and patience. The main ingredients of the sauce are:

various varieties of fresh sweet and bitter peppers;
ripe tomatoes;
garlic, onion.

To obtain a high-quality product, only ripe and healthy vegetables are needed.

Raw materials. Before you start preparing ajvar, you need to sort through the raw materials, removing fruits with signs of spoilage or rot. It is advisable to choose large peppers with thick walls, a smooth shiny and smooth surface. Among tomatoes, select ripe, fleshy varieties, preferably red ones. Hot chili peppers are useful both dried and raw.

It is necessary to include onions in ajvar, but not red, because... it is milder and is most often used in salads. We recommend using spring garlic; ajvar with it is much more aromatic and vigorous.

Supplements The most popular addition to the sauce is eggplant, followed by apple. And, of course, bay leaf, coriander, suneli hops and many, many more spices and seasonings, including salt and sugar.

Features of the technology. Ajvar is made freshly prepared or stored for the winter. Regardless of its purpose, the ajvar recipe requires mandatory heat treatment. The highlight of the recipe is the initial baking of the peppers in the oven and further simmering the mixture of all ingredients in one container until cooked.

The best ajvar recipes for the winter

To prepare the most delicious ajvar for the winter, housewives need to strictly follow the instructions of the best, proven recipes.

Traditional Serbian preparation with lemon juice

This traditional Serbian sauce can be easily prepared in simple home conditions, using a regular stove oven instead of an oven. You need to take:

sweet (bell) pepper – 3 kilograms;
garlic – 8 cloves;
vegetable oil (refined) – 250 milliliters;
sugar – 1 tablespoon;
onions (large) – 2 pieces;
salt – 1/2 teaspoon;
lemon juice – 25 milliliters;
ground (black) and red pepper - to taste.

Step-by-step preparation:

The peppers are washed under running water and dried. Now the vegetables are baked in the oven until they acquire a dark color (it is advisable to use a wire rack, but you can also place them on a baking sheet). It would be great if the oven is equipped with a grill. Bake the pepper for 15 minutes at a temperature of +170...+200 C degrees.
Afterwards, the hot vegetables are poured into a plastic bag, tied and shaken several times. This technique will allow housewives to easily remove the skin from the pepper. Then it is cleared of seeds and cut into small pieces.
Now you need to cut the onion into half rings, and then fry in a frying pan until golden brown. Then all the vegetables are twisted in a meat grinder or pureed until smooth using a blender.
The resulting mass is poured into a deep saucepan, sunflower oil and all other ingredients are added and placed on the stove. After the mixture boils, cook it for 10 minutes, add lemon juice and mix well. Then bring it to a boil again, turn it off and pour it hot into jars.
Now you need to close the jars with lids, wrap them in a warm blanket or blanket, and after completely cooling, put them away for permanent storage.

Assorted with tomatoes

The addition of tomatoes makes the taste softer and richer, and the texture more juicy.

To prepare, housewives need to take:

pepper – 1.5 kilograms;
tomatoes – 500 grams;
onion – 200 grams;
garlic – 1 head;
chili pepper – 1 pod;
sunflower oil – 50 milliliters;
salt – 2 tablespoons;
granulated sugar – 4 tablespoons;
vinegar - 20 milliliters.

Recipe with blue

Serbian ajvar cooked with eggplant will be original, aromatic and satisfying. To prepare the workpiece you will need:

bell pepper – 2 kilograms;
eggplants – 1.5 kilograms;
sunflower oil – 50 milliliters;
vinegar (preferably wine) – 2 tablespoons;
garlic – 3 cloves;
salt – 2 tablespoons;
sugar – 1 tablespoon.

Effect on the body

The benefits of sweet peppers have been scientifically proven; they contain so much vitamin C that it will be enough for one person for a whole day. In addition, the burning taste of bitter paprika has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and is an excellent aphrodisiac, elevates mood, improves appetite, and keeps the body's defenses in good shape. Tomatoes, onions and garlic increase the permeability of blood vessels and force the heart to work optimally, improve digestion and reduce the spread of infections.

Caution is needed only for people with acute manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases and allergies.

Spicy sauce ajvar: recipe in Serbian

What is the main thing in national dishes? Probably their original, pronounced taste and history with traditions. Ajvar sauce, the recipe for which we bring to your attention today, has both in full. This is a real pearl of Balkan cuisine, prepared for a long time from baked peppers and tomatoes, a kind of caviar (by the way, the name of the dish itself is translated similarly). In Serbia they call it “poor man’s caviar.” But the famous Balkan ajvar is used both as a seasoning for meat main courses, and as an independent dish, which is eaten with bread. The paste can be quite hot. And garlic, onions and eggplants are often added to peppers.

The most important thing is pepper!

There is by no means just one recipe for ajvar; the culinary world knows many variations of it. But they are all united by one characteristic feature: they contain bell pepper. And you need to prepare it for inclusion in the dish according to all the rules. To do this, all the peppers allocated for cooking are washed, laid out on a baking sheet and sent to the oven. The mode should be set to “hard”, but you should monitor the process so that the vegetable does not turn into embers. And at least once the pods need to be turned over! On average, baking takes a third of an hour.

How to eat

Ajvar goes perfectly with fatty meat and fish dishes, as well as with vegetables in any form. Whether it’s a regular home roast, a restaurant shish kebab or a hearty grilled vegetable mixture, ajvar will decorate and complement the bouquet of aromas and taste. The peoples of the southern regions eat ajvar as a snack with grain bread and lavash.

It is customary to serve the vegetable paste in a separate ceramic (glass) bowl or gravy boat, so that everyone can adjust the portion that suits them. Homemade sauce (excluding canning) can be stored for no longer than two days from the date of production in a separate sealable container in the refrigerator.

Ajvar in Serbian - recipe

Probably, in our country, ajvar would receive the title of vegetable caviar, but culinary nomenclature dictates that it be called a sauce, and we do not dare to challenge this.

Since every Serbian housewife has her own family recipe, there are plenty of variations in this sauce. We intend to consider some of them further.

Serbian Avar - recipe

If you have the opportunity to cook vegetables for ajvar over a fire, then by all means take advantage of it. Cooking the vegetables over the coals will give the finished sauce a nice smoky flavor.

sweet pepper – 1.1 kg;
eggplant – 740 g;
garlic – 5 cloves;
hot pepper - to taste;
vegetable oil – 55 ml;
vinegar – 15 ml.

Grill hot and sweet peppers over charcoal until soft. Next to it, place the eggplant to fry, also waiting until it is fully cooked. Remove the burnt skin from the peppers and remove the seed boxes. Divide the fried eggplant in half and scrape out the pulp with a spoon. Place the fried vegetables in a blender bowl, then add garlic clove paste, vinegar, oil, and a pinch of salt. Whisk everything until smooth and taste, adapting the taste according to your preferences.

Serbian ajvar recipe for the winter

sweet pepper – 640 g;
tomatoes – 480 g;
eggplant – 270 g;
garlic – 2 cloves;
vinegar – 25 ml;
olive oil – 75 ml.

Before preparing the Serbian appetizer ajvar, prepare the tomatoes. Cut the skins of the fruits and blanch them for about a minute, then remove the skins. Divide the tomatoes into large pieces along with the peeled peppers and eggplants. Fry the peppers and eggplants first, not forgetting to salt well, add the tomato pieces, garlic puree, then reduce the heat. Leave the ajvar to simmer on the stove for an hour. At the very end of boiling, pour in vinegar and take a sample. If you are satisfied with the taste of the preparation, distribute the ajvar into clean jars, cover and send for sterilization, then roll up.

Serbian ajvar sauce

sweet peppers – 790 g;
eggplants – 390 g;
garlic – 2 cloves;
juice of one lemon;
a handful of parsley.

Bake the vegetables and garlic in the shell until soft at 200 degrees. Place the pulp of the peppers and eggplant in a blender, then squeeze out the contents of the garlic cloves. Add lemon juice, a pinch of salt and parsley. Whisk everything until smooth before serving.