Ajvar — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A smoky, silky spread made from fire-roasted red peppers and eggplant, slow-cooked with garlic and olive oil until deeply caramelized. The "vegetable caviar" of the Balkans.

Ingredients

2kg red bell peppers (sweet, thick-fleshed)
2 medium eggplants
4 cloves garlic, minced
100ml sunflower oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili flakes (optional)

Instructions

1 Roast whole peppers and eggplants directly over a flame or under a broiler until charred all over and completely soft.
2 Place in a covered bowl to steam for 15 minutes. Peel off all charred skin, remove seeds from peppers, and scoop out eggplant flesh.
3 Chop the roasted vegetables finely or pulse briefly in a food processor — the texture should be chunky, not smooth.
4 Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables.
5 Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for 1-2 hours until thick, dark, and jammy. Add vinegar, salt, and sugar.
6 Pack into sterilized jars while hot. Seal and store. Serve at room temperature as a spread or side.

Did You Know?

In autumn, entire Croatian neighborhoods smell of roasting peppers during "ajvar season" — families roast and jar hundreds of peppers together in a communal tradition.