Eggplant Zucchini Chickpea Casserole with Arborio Rice

Sometimes it’s made with vegetables and legumes. Sometimes it’s made with vegetables and meat. Sometimes it’s made vegan, while other times it’s made with cheese and/or yogurt. It also ... [read more]]]>

Sometimes it’s made with vegetables and legumes. Sometimes it’s made with vegetables and meat. Sometimes it’s made vegan, while other times it’s made with cheese and/or yogurt. It also can be made gluten-free. If you’re on a low carb diet, you can make it without the bread crumbs and you can make the sauce without the flour.

Moussaka is such a versatile dish, and the way Kemal prepared last night is very similar to how he prepared it the first time he made it for me. (Although the first time he made it I don’t believe he used butter or flour in the sauce.)

Of all the way’s Kemal has made moussaka, I think this is my favorite moussaka recipe, although I must admit it would be perfect with some fresh mint in the casserole. I just love mint in moussaka!

Anyway, this is comfort food for us.

It tastes wonderful, and I hope you’ll give it a try some day.

Vegetable Moussaka with Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel Sauce Adapted from: about.com Greek food

Ingredients for the Moussaka:

• 8 small potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 16 garlic cloves, sliced in half
• 3 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• olive oil for greasing the pan
• Panko bread crumbs for sprinkling on the greased pan

Ingredients for the Bechamel Sauce:

• 7 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. allspice

Instructions:

Step One:  Prep Work and Layering the Moussaka

• Grease a 9 inch x 14 inch pan with olive oil.
• Sprinkle some Panko bread crumbs evenly over the oiled pan. Set aside.
• Peel and slice the potatoes.
• Place the potato slices on the bottom of the pan.
• Peel the garlic, and then slice in half.
• Scatter the garlic on top of the potato slices.
• Peel and slice eggplant.
• Place the eggplant slices on top of the potatoes and garlic.
• Wash and slice the zucchini and both of the peppers.
• Then place the zucchini and pepper slices on top of the eggplant.
• Peel and slice the onion, and then place the onion slices on top of the zucchini and peppers.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step Two:  Making the Bechamel Sauce

• Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot.
• While the butter is melting, beat the eggs.
• Add the flour to the eggs and whisk until the flour is mixed into the eggs.
• Add the melted butter, milk, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to the egg/flour mixture.
• Whisk the mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Step Three:  Adding Bechamel Sauce to the Moussaka and Baking

• Pour the Bechamel sauce over the moussaka, making the sauce goes all the way to the bottom layer.
• Bake uncovered for about an hour. The potatoes will be soft and the top will be browned.
• Let it cool, then cut into slices.
• Enjoy warm or cold.

I’ve read a lot of excellent reviews about this restaurant, and we finally went there today for lunch. The food was incredibly delicious and the service was over-the-top.  After reading so many positive reviews about the restaurant, I was eager to try it.

The lady who waited on us said they make everything from scratch, including ... [read more]]]> I’ve read a lot of excellent reviews about this restaurant, and we finally went there today for lunch. The food was incredibly delicious and the service was over-the-top.  After reading so many positive reviews about the restaurant, I was eager to try it.

The lady who waited on us said they make everything from scratch, including the yogurt. She said they cook with their homemade yogurt instead of heavy cream, and she even brought us out a small bowl of the yogurt to sample. It was wonderful!!!

In fact, all the food we tried off the buffet was really good…better than the other Indian restaurants we’ve been to.

The cafe is tucked away in the Hikes Point Plaza.

You can’t see it from the road, the building is nothing fancy, and the decor is simple and homey. The prices are quite reasonable, the staff is friendly and helpful, and food is awesome! I sampled a little bit of many of the dishes on the buffet.

Our favorite was the chana masala, which is garbanzo beans cooked with spices and onions. It’s a bit on the hot side which we liked. The yogurt made it creamy and added a beautiful flavor.

The chicken curry was really good, and the tandoori chicken was the best I ever had. I couldn’t believe how moist it was.

The dal…lentils with spices and yogurt, was out-of-this-world incredible! It was perfectly hot and spicy and oh-so-creamy. I so much enjoyed dipping my naan in it!

Speaking of the naan bread, it was a little different from most other naan breads I’ve tried. The lady who waited on us said they put yogurt in the dough, which is what I do when I make it home. The naan was thicker than the naan bread I’ve tried at other Indian Restaurants, but it was fantastic!

I also tried the chicken sagwala which is chicken breast cooked with creamy spinach. The cream sauce is made with the homemade yogurt (not cream), and it’s a very tasty dish.

The vegetable curry and the fried onions were fantastic. I’m not sure what kind of batter the onions were fried in (perhaps a lentil batter?) but it was incredibly good!

The lady who waited on us said they cook everything the way they cook at home, and they certainly do seem to take a lot of pride in their meals and using high quality ingredients. They use only certified halal meat, and rice was perfectly cooked.

We definitely plan to return, and the next time we go we’ll eat at dinner time so we can try some other items that weren’t on the buffet. If you go at dinner time and order off the menu, they will season your food to your likeness. It’s really nice that if you want your meal hotter and spicier, they’ll fix it to order that way for you. Or if you prefer your food milder, they’ll season it that way as well. I just love how everything is made just the way you like it.

When we go at dinner, we’re interested in trying the baigan bharta which is eggplant sauteed with tomatoes, onions, and spices. And we also want to try masala dosa, which is rice and lentil crepes with sicy potatoes. I’m also interested in trying the lamb curry, lamb korma (lamb simmered in mild yogurt sauce), and the lamb vindaloo (lamb simmered with spicy potatoes).

If you like India food or have also wanted to try it but haven’t, we highly recommend the Little India Cafe at the Hikes Point Plaza in Louisville, Ky, right off Breckinridge Lane.

They’re closed on Mondays. On weekdays, the buffet is 7.95 and weekends it’s $9.95. I believe they serve the buffet until 3 p.m. If you want to call them to be sure, their phone number is 502-479-3353.

Update: We’ve back to the Little India Cafe several times since I wrote this review, and every time we’ve been, the food has continued to be outstanding.

While the food on the buffet is quite good, we prefer the dinner menu because the food is even better!

The vegetable samosas make for a wonderful appetizer! They’re crisp on the outside and filled with soft vegetables and spices on the inside. The tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney they’re served with make excellent dipping sauces!

We also ordered chicken saagwala (served with rice and a piece of naan bread) which features soft, tender chicken in creamy, pureed spinach. You order it mild, hot, or Indian hot, and we ordered our Indian hot. It was perfect, and we enjoyed ours with garlic naan bread which was scrumptious! Without a doubt we’ll be ordering this again!

The lentil rice crepes (masala dosa) that we ordered off the menu were also quite tasty, and the inside is filled with soft vegetables and spices. It’s served with a chutney that contains coconut and mustard (among other things), and it was also very good. The lentil rice crepes come with a small bowl of lentil soup which was light yet full of flavor, and both the saagwala and the lentil rice crepes are big portion sizes so it’s a definite value for your money.

The owner stopped by again to chat with us to make sure everything was to our liking, and one of the ladies in the kitchen cooking brought us a sample of lamb biryani (a fragrant rice dish with lamb). It was so incredibly delicious! The owner said that a group of people living in Lexington come to the cafe every Friday just to order this dish.

While we were much too full to order dessert, the thick, pulpy mango juice was our sweet treat to finish off the meal. It’s the best mango juice I’ve every had! We’re hardly waiting to go back and sample more of their excellent home-cooked meals!

Last week, Kemal made us a wonderful sweet and spicy stir fry with with chorizo chicken sausages, but unfortunately, I failed to photograph ... [read more]]]>

Last week, Kemal made us a wonderful sweet and spicy stir fry with with chorizo chicken sausages, but unfortunately, I failed to photograph it so you can see what it looked like.

Anyway, we enjoyed that sweet and spicy stir fry so much that we both wanted it again, but this time Kemal made it with beef.

It’s a wonderful meal, and I’m not sure if I prefer it with chicken or beef. It’s wonderful either way.

All I know is the eggplant is a must! If you’ve never had eggplant in your stir-fry, give it a try. It’s really good!

I’m hardly waiting for some leftovers tonight!!

Sweet and Spicy Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry with Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 lb. lean chuck stew beef, cubed
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchinis, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 16 whole garlic cloves
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 cup sesame oil (you can substitute with canola or olive oil if you prefer)
• 3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 4 oz. sweet and spicy sauce (we used The Ginger People’s sweet ginger chili sauce)
• 12 oz. noodles (we used Ho Fan which is a flat Asian noodle, but you can use regular spaghetti, linguine, or whatever kind of noodle you like)
• soy sauce to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Step One:  Prep Work

• Peel the garlic cloves.
• Peel and dice the yellow onions.
• Wash the green onions and then slice them into 1-inch pieces.
• Wash the peppers, and then cut them in half, removing the seeds. Then cut the peppers into 1-inch pieces.
• Wash the zucchinis and then cut them half lengthwise. Then slice the halves into 1-inch pieces.
• Peel the eggplant, and then dice it into 1-inch pieces.
• Cut the beef into 1-inch cubes.

Step Two:  Fry the Beef

• Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in medium-sized pan, and when the oil gets hot, add the cubed beef.
• Season the beef with chili seasoning, stirring frequently until the outside of the beef is browned but the inside is still rare. (This is called searing the meat.)
• Remove from heat and set aside.

Step Three:  Cook the Noodles

• Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.
• Add the noodles, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and 1 tsp. of salt to the boiling water. Stir gently.
• Reduce the heat to medium and cook the noodles until they’re soft the still firm.
• Drain the water off the noodles, and then run warm water off them.
• Toss the noodles in 1 tsp of olive oil, cover, and set aside.

Step Four:  Fry the Vegetables

• In a large pan, fry the peppers over medium-high heat in 1/2 cup of sesame oil for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Then add the garlic. After the garlic has cooked for about 2 minutes, add the yellow and green onions. Stir occasionally.
• After the onions have cooked for 2 minutes, add the zucchini to the frying pan. Stir occasionally.
• After the zucchinis have cooked for 2 minutes, add the eggplant and fry the eggplant for about 2 minutes.

Step Five:  Add Beef and Sweet & Spicy Sauce to Vegetables

• Add the beef and sweet & spicy sauce to the vegetable mixture, frying it for a minute or two until the beef is cooked inside to your liking.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• If you prefer to skip the salt, season with soy sauce to taste.

Step Six:  Add the Beef and Vegetables to the Noodles

• Place the noodles in a serving bowl/dish.
• Top with the beef/vegetable mixture.
• Serve warm.

Moussaka is popular in the Balkans, Mediterranean, and the Middle East, and it’s basically a layered casserole that’s usually made with eggplant, tomatoes, and meat.

There are endless varieties of moussaka. It ... [read more]]]>

Moussaka is popular in the Balkans, Mediterranean, and the Middle East, and it’s basically a layered casserole that’s usually made with eggplant, tomatoes, and meat.

There are endless varieties of moussaka. It can be made vegan without eggs, cheese, yogurt, and meat.

It can also be made vegetarian with eggs, yogurt, and cheese.

You can make moussaka with or without legumes and with or without rice/potatoes.

You can choose whatever vegetables you like in your moussaka, but most generally, it always includes eggplant and tomatoes. We did, however, make it a few times with just zucchini, potatoes, garlic, onions, and then covered it all with a bunch of beaten eggs. It’s wonderful that way too.

Because it’s such a versatile dish, it’s one you can enjoy often without getting tired of it.

Click here to see another moussaka recipe we made last year. You can see how different yet similar they both are.

Beef and Vegetable Moussaka

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 lb. lean chuck stew beef, cubed
• 1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
• 10 small potatoes, peeled and sliced into medium sized pieces
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 zucchini, sliced into thin slices
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely
• 1 can  (15 oz.) chickpeas (reserve water from the can)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 16 whole garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp.nutmeg
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. sea salt

Step One:  Preparing and Layering the Vegetables and Chickpeas

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a large baking dish with a little bit of olive oil.
• Wash and peel the potatoes, and then cut the potatoes into slices that aren’t too thin nor too thick.
• Place the potatoes on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
• Peel the skin off the eggplant, and then cut the eggplant into thin slices.
• Place the eggplant slices on top of the potato slices.
• Wash and slice the green onions, and then scatter them on top of the zucchini.
• Peel and dice the yellow onion, and then scatter them on top of the green onion.
• Drain the water off the can of chickpeas, but save the water and set it aside.
• Scatter the chickpeas on top of the onions.
• Then scatter a cup of dry rice on top of the chickpeas.
• Wash the parsley, finely chop it, and then sprinkle it evenly over the rice.
• Peel the garlic, and then scatter the whole cloves over the rice.
• Wash and cut the zucchini into thin, round slices.
• Then place the zucchini slices on top of the parsley, rice, and garlic cloves.
• Wash the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and then dice it.
• Sprinkle the diced bell peppers over the zucchini.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix together the can diced tomatoes, the water that was in the can of chickpeas, an additional 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup olive oil, and all the spices except the paprika.
• Pour the tomato sauce mixture on top of the vegetables in the pan.

Step Two:  Preparing the Beef

• Cut the beef into bite-sized cubes.
• Sear the beef by frying it uncovered  in 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat just the meat is kind of brownish on the outside but still raw on the inside.
• Place the seared, cubed beef on top of the layered vegetable and chickpea casserole you just made.
• Bury most of the beef into the layers, leaving just a small part of the beef exposed on top.

Step Three:  Baking the Moussaka

• Cover the moussaka with aluminum foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour.
• After one hour, the rice and potatoes should be soft and fully cooked.
• Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Imam Bayaldi (Middle Eastern Eggplant)

The eggplants are usually stuffed, but when Kemal made this incredible meal this evening, he decided to scoop ... [read more]]]> Imam Bayaldi (Middle Eastern Eggplant)

The eggplants are usually stuffed, but when Kemal made this incredible meal this evening, he decided to scoop the eggplant out of the shell after it was cooked. Then he combined the eggplant with the rest of the vegetables and served it over rice. To learn more about this scrumptious meal which legend has it caused someone eating it to faint, click here.

I can tell you one thing with certainty…this is probably the best eggplant meal I’ve ever had!

Kemal’s fried eggplant sandwiches and eggplant Parmigiana are incredible, and I adore both of those meals, but this dish is just fabulous!!

The blend of spices is perfect, and the raisins add a beautiful, sweet flavor that I love. I’m sure some chopped, fresh grapes would work just as well if you wanted to use those instead.

If you love eggplant, you really have to try this.

Just be careful you don’t faint!

Adapted from: Ezine Articles

It was a beautiful meal that tasted just as wonderful as it smelled.

I savored every bite which was soft, satisfying, and full ... [read more]]]>

It was a beautiful meal that tasted just as wonderful as it smelled.

I savored every bite which was soft, satisfying, and full of flavor. This meal is truly comfort food that makes all the cares of the day just melt away.

Scrambled Eggs with Roasted Eggplant

• 5 baby eggplants
• 6 medium eggs
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 small onions, diced
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. chili peppers
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. dried mint
• Optional: fresh mint for garnishing

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease a baking pan with a little olive oil.
• Wash the eggplants, cut them in half, and place them on the baking pan, skin side down.
• Bake them uncovered until the meat of the eggplant is soft (about 20 to 30 minutes)
• While the eggplant is baking, peel the onions and garlic.
• Finely chop the garlic and dice the onions.
• Wash and dice the tomatoes.
• Fry the onions and garlic  in 1/2 cup of olive oil…until they’re soft.
• When the onions are garlic are almost done, add the diced tomatoes, the sugar, and all the spices…cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes (until the water from the tomatoes start to evaporate and the mixture thickens up. Remove from heat.
• In another pan, heat 2 tbsp.of olive oil on medium heat.
• Beat the eggs with 2 tbsp. of milk, and then when the oil gets hot, add the beaten eggs to the pan, stirring occasionally until the eggs are cooked.
• After the eggplant is done, peel the skin off. Discard the skin (or keep it if you like the skin) and cut the eggplant into small cubes.
• Add the eggplant to the onions/garlic/tomatoes, and cook for about 5-10 minutes.
• Stir in the scrambled eggs to the vegetable mixture.
• Optional: Garnish with some fresh mint if you like.
• Serve warm.

We had vegetarian spring rolls and steamed vegetarian dumplings as our appetizers. For our entrees, we each had Pho Tai which is Vietnamese noodle soup. We had ours with beef, and it was served ... [read more]]]> Lemongrass Restaurant in Middletown, Kentucky.

We had vegetarian spring rolls and steamed vegetarian dumplings as our appetizers. For our entrees, we each had Pho Tai which is Vietnamese noodle soup. We had ours with beef, and it was served with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, and lime. Click here to learn more about pho tai and to see a few photos.

The food was all incredibly satisfying and delicious, but neither one of us was able to finish all our soup. Had we known it was going to be such a big bowl, we wouldn’t have ordered two appetizers. It was fun picking up the noodles and beef out of the soup with my chopsticks! Once Kemal showed me the trick to eating with them, I did really well. It’s pretty easy. Anyway, I can’t wait to explore more on the menu and enjoy another one of Vietnamese beers.

For my birthday dinner, I wanted something light and simple since I ate a bigger lunch.   Kemal and I made a little pasta salad that was inspired by a recipe I saw in my Greek cookbook.

While it’s based on a Greek recipe though, we changed it so it’s not really a Greek dish any longer. And while it’s made with pasta, it’s not an Italian dish. It seems like a cross between Mediterranean and Indian.

It’s full of flavor yet it’s simple and delicious. It’s also very quick and easy to make and can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Eggplant Cauliflower Pasta Salad

Recipe Adapted from: “The Complete Book of Greek Cooking” by Rena Salaman & Jan Cutler, page 216, (Grilled Aubergine and Couscous Salad), Anness Publishing Ltd., 2005, 2008

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried pastina
• 4 baby eggplants, peeled and finely diced
• 8 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 head of a medium cauliflower with the florets diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup + 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. dried mint
• 1 tsp. sumac
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. dry pomegranate powder (also called anardana powder)

Note: You could substitute fresh pomegranate seeds instead of pomegranate powder if you like. We purchased the powder at a local Indian grocery store. You can also easily make it yourself if you like, although it does time a bit of time for the seeds to dry. If you’re interesting in making the powder yourself, click here at ehow.com to learn how.

Instructions:

• In a medium pot over high heat, bring 1 quart of water to boil.
• After the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and add the pastina, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. olive oil, stirring occasionally.
• Cook until the pasta becomes soft yet still a little firm.
• Drain the water off the pasta (I used a sieve) and then run cold water over the pastina so it can chill down. Set aside.
• Peel and dice the garlic and into finely dice the garlic.
• Peel and dice the eggplant.
• Wash the cauliflower, and then dice up about half of the florets.
• Wash and chop the parsley.
• Pour 1/2 cup olive oil into a large frying pan and let it heat up (over medium heat) for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add all the diced vegetables, and then stir in the herbs and seasonings.
• Cook over medium heat until the vegetables become soft and tender, stirring frequently
• Stir in the can of tomatoes.
• Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• Then stir in the pastina.
• Remove it from the heat and serve warm or cold.

eThere are no doubt many variations on how to make this popular Italian dish. The way we made it involves cooking eggplant slices on a griddle, then rolling the slices with a ricotta cheese mixture, covering with a homemade tomato sauce and cheese, then baking. If you want to see another way we’ve made eggplant ... [read more]]]> eThere are no doubt many variations on how to make this popular Italian dish. The way we made it involves cooking eggplant slices on a griddle, then rolling the slices with a ricotta cheese mixture, covering with a homemade tomato sauce and cheese, then baking. If you want to see another way we’ve made eggplant Parmesana, (with bread crumbs and Prosciutto) click here. Scroll down the page after you click to see the photos.

Anyway, I’m not sure which variation of eggplant Parmesana I prefer. I like it both ways.

This version has a softer look, as well as a softer texture, and I while I like the crunchiness of the breaded eggplant, I think I prefer this version better. It tastes wonderful, and I really don’t think you’ll miss the bread crumbs at all.

If you’re trying to find a way to get your kids to eat more veggies, you might want to try this recipe. All the cheese and tomato sauce is so delicious…like eating lasagna…just without the noodles. The flavor of the eggplant is mild anyway, but with all the cheese and tomatoes, you can barely taste…let alone see…the eggplant.

In addition, if you’re watching your carbs, this version is good because it’s prepared without breadcrumbs.

If you like the eggplant skin, you don’t have to remove it the way we did. We’re not overly fond of how eggplant skin tastes so we generally remove it prior to cooking it.

Also, salting the eggplant prior to cooking it is optional. We usually don’t do that, but we did this time; however, the next time we make it we’ll skip that step because despite rinsing the salt off the eggplant, we thought it turned out too salty. Part of that was my fault because I think I used too much salt, but still, I’ll skip that step altogether next time.

Low Carb Eggplant Parmigiana

Adapted from: ShowMeTheCurry.com

Here’s what the eggplant looked like after I rolled it and put it in the pan with some tomatoes.

And here’s what it looked like after I poured  the tomato sauce mixture over the rolled eggplant slices and cherry tomatoes, then sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Then I added mozzarella cheese on top and baked it. The first picture at the top of the page is the finished product.

Besides being a popular spread, ajvar is also served as ... [read more]]]>

Besides being a popular spread, ajvar is also served as a salad or as an accompaniment to a meal. It has a beautiful taste and smell!!

Traditionally, ajvar is made during autumn when peppers were abundant. The preparation of ajvar was something most everyone in the family participated in. Entire communities and villages would make and preserve ajvar during the same time of year, and this event was something that would ensure that families would have vegetables during the colder months of the year. Just open up a jar in the winter and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Making and preserving ajvar is time-consuming and laborious, but when everyone in the family pitches in and helps, it makes the production of ajvar much easier. Kemal said he and his brother spent much time stirring the ajvar which they both always loved and looked forward to. This was common in families because it takes at least two hours of constant stirring of the ajvar. When everyone in the family takes a turn and shares in the labor, it’s easier to make.

Now Kemal and I don’t have children, so when he and I made ajvar last night, it was pretty labor-intensive even though we took turns stirring.

Making ajvar is also time-consuming. I think it took about six hours from start to finish so if you’re going to make ajvar, make sure you have plenty of time set aside. In addition, please make sure you read all the instructions before you begin. You’ll need some Mason jars for preserving the ajvar, as well as a blender and a large pot. Make sure that you’re clothing which is appropriate. The ajvar bubbles up and can splatter your clothes, possibly staining them. So don’t wear anything you’re worried about potentially getting stained.

The only other suggestion I have for you before you begin is to read about how to safety preserve food. I’ve provided a link for you under the Disclaimer section. Kemal and I wanted to make ajvar the old-fashioned way…how his mother and others in his country traditionally preserve ajvar. You don’t have to do it this way. Educate yourself about preservation methods and then decide for yourself how you will preserve your ajvar.

Have fun while you’re cooking and enjoy this very healthy and delicious spread on homemade bread. I made
lepinje (Bosnian pita bread) to go with our ajvar, and when you spread the ajvar on the bread and then top it with feta cheese (and possibly some prosciutto)…well…you couldn’t ask for a more perfect meal!

Ajvar – (Roasted Peppers and Eggplant Spread) – How to Make and Preserve It

(Adapted from: Kemal’s mother’s recipe)

Yield: Approximately 8 half-pint jars

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 5 large red bell peppers
• 2 large yellow bell peppers
• 2 large green bell peppers
• 2 red chili peppers
• 2 serrano chili peppers
• 8 cloves garlic
• 2 small onions
• 2 1/2 cups olive oil + 1/3 cup oil, + 4 tbsp. olive oil (Set aside 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 2 cups, and 4 tbsp. in separate bowls.)
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Note: The traditional ajvar recipe would be made with only 1 eggplant and all red peppers. Most ajvar recipes are also mild so the traditional recipe wouldn’t be made with the serrano and red chili peppers. We like our ajvar with just a little heat though.

Step One: Roasting the Eggplant and Bell Peppers

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Wash and dry the bell peppers and eggplant.
• Place the whole eggplants and bell peppers in a large baking ban and bake uncovered until the skins of the peppers become burned. When the skins start burning, it makes it easier to peel the skins off (which you’ll do later).
• Remove from the oven and let the eggplants cool for about 5 minutes or so.
• Place the peppers in a plastic bags while they’re still hot and just out of the oven. Seal the plastic bags and set them on the counter for about 15 minutes. (This will make it easier to peel the skins off.

Step Two: Preparing the Rest of the Vegetables and the Ball Mason Glass Jars

• While the eggplants are cooling and the peppers are inside the plastic bags, peel and then finely dice the onion and garlic.
• Then wash and finely dice the chili peppers and serrano peppers.
• Fry the onions, garlic, and serrano and chili peppers in about 4 tbsp. of olive oil until they become soft.
• Set that mixture aside for now.
• Then wash the glass jars and lids (we used half pint Ball Mason jars) that you’re going to be using for preserving the ajvar.
• After washing the jars and lids, let them dry upside down on a paper towel.

Step Three: Peeling and Chopping the Bell Peppers and Eggplants

• Peel the skin off all the bell peppers and eggplants.
• Cut the eggplant into large chunks.
• Remove the stems off the peppers.
• Then cut the peppers in half, removing the core and most of the seeds. Don’t worry about removing every little seed; just remove the majority of them.
• Cut each peppers into several chunks.
• Then fill up your blender about three-fourths of the way full with eggplant/peppers and about 1/2 cup of the 2 cups of olive oil, chopping the vegetables in the blender until you reached the desired chunkiness.
• Now, fill up the blender again about three-fourths of the way full with more eggplant/peppers and olive oil, repeating this process until all the eggplant and peppers have been chopped in the blender.

Step Four: Cooking the Ajvar

• Fill a large pot with all the chopped eggplant and peppers, as well as the fried vegetable mix that you have setting aside.
• If you have any of the 2 cups of olive oil leftover that you didn’t use when blending the peppers and eggplant, add it to the pot.
• Stir in the seasonings and vinegar.
• Cook on medium-low heat for hours, stirring constantly until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture cooks down, thickens, and reduces in volume.

Note: Initially our pot contained about 4 1/2 to 5 quarts of the vegetable mixture, and when it was done, it had cooked down to about 2 quarts. You can see in the picture below how full the pot was when we started if you look at the sides of the pot. Over 50% of the liquid evaporated when we finally finished.

Note: You’ll know you have the right consistency when you take your spoon, move it across the pot, and you can see the bottom of the pot. It took exactly 2 hours before this happened for us.

• Once you’re able to see the bottom of the pot as you stir with your spoon, cook the mixture for about 10 more minutes, stirring constantly.
• When the ajvar is done cooking, stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, remove the pot from the heat, and then place a lid on the pot. Here’s a couple of pictures of the ajvar after we finished cooking it and added the olive oil:

Step Five: Preserving the Ajvar

Important Note and Disclaimer: The instructions that we give for preserving ajvar is a very old method that Kemal’s mother and many people in ex-Yugoslavia have used when preserving food. This method of preserving ajvar is different from methods used in the U.S. It may not be the safest way to preserve food, but this is how we did it.

To ensure that you preserve your ajvar safely and properly, as well as to ensure high quality canned food, please read the information on the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website.

That website is an excellent resource and you may prefer and feel more comfortable following their precise instructions for preserving ajvar instead of using the old ways of doing it. We cannot attest to the safety of this old method except to say that this is how Kemal’s mother (and others in his country) preserved ajvar, and we chose to preserve it the same way she did. If you are concerned or have doubts that this old-fashioned preservation method might not result in a safe, high quality preserved food, then please read the information on the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website, and then follow their instructions for preserving your ajvar.

Also, be very careful when you’re dealing with the hot jars and lids. Make sure you don’t touch any hot surfaces with your hands. Use oven mitts when touching hot jars and tongs when touching hot lids.

Here’s how we preserved our ajvar:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
• After the oven is preheated, place the empty jars you will be using for preserving the ajvar onto a baking pan, and then place the baking pan containing the empty jars into the oven.
• Bake the empty jars for about 30 minutes. This is the old-time way of sterilizing them.
• After 30 minutes, remove the jars from the oven.
• Increase the temperature of the oven to 300 degrees.
• Then fill the jars nearly to the top with the hot ajvar. Here’s a picture so you can see how high we filled our jars.

• Make sure you clean the rim of the jars before you put them in the oven. Just take a paper towel and wipe around the edges. If you don’t, you might have problems with the lids sealing properly.
• Place the filled glass jars which are inside the baking pan into the oven. Make sure the jars are uncovered.
• Bake at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes. A little crust will form on top of the ajvar. That’s fine.
• After you place the ajvar in the oven, boil the lids to the glass jars in a pot of water. This is a step my Mom suggested. She said it will help the lids fit better on the jars.
• After the ajvar has baked for 15 minutes, carefully remove the hot lids from the boiling water with a pair of tongs, placing them on a paper towel to try.
• Next, take the 1/3 cup of olive oil that you set aside earlier and heat it up on medium in a small pan or pot until the oil gets hot.
• After the ajvar has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven, making sure to turn the oven off.
• Flatten the ajvar with a spoon so it’s smooth on the top.
• Take a spoon and pour hot oil over the top of the ajvar…enough to cover it. You may have some oil leftover. That’s fine; you can use it for something else.
• Then immediately place the lids (make sure they’re cool before touching them) on the jars and tighten them up good. Be sure you wear an oven mitt so you don’t burn yourself when you’re holding the jars and screwing on the lids.
• Place the covered jars in the still-warm oven. Don’t turn the oven on though. Leave them there until the oven cools. (This step will make the lids seal better.)
• After the oven has cooled, remove the jars and let them cool at room temperature.
• Store the ajvar in a cool and dark place. (The jars don’t need to be refrigerated until they’re opened up. Once you’ve opened the ajvar, they need to go into the refrigerator.)

Note: If the seal is good, the lids will have popped inward some. In other words, they will have sunken in a little.