Eggplant Caviar
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Eggplant Caviar gets its delectable flavor from roasted eggplant and peppers, juicy tomatoes, and sweet onions, slowly simmered into a silky smooth dip. Charring the vegetables over open fire or hot coals is important in order to obtain the smoky flavor, much sought after in the authentic eggplant caviar. You can do the roasting in the oven, but the result will not be the same.
Ingredients
- 8 medium dark-skinned eggplants, such as Italian (about 2 pounds)
- 1 medium young green bell pepper or sweet banana pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped (2 cups)
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the eggplants and pepper. Char them directly over the gas flame of your stove or speared onto skewers over hot coals. The skins should be completely charred.
- When cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. Seed the pepper. Finely chop the flesh of the eggplants and pepper. Set aside.
- In a medium frying pan, heat half of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until the liquid has somewhat evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggplant and pepper and the remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the excess moisture has evaporated and the mixture is smooth, about 40 minutes.
- About 5 minutes before you remove the pan from the heat, add the vinegar and stir.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Scoop the caviar into a bowl or jar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. The longer the caviar stays in the refrigerator, the better the flavor will be.
Notes
Adapted from Pomegranates & Saffron: A Culinary Journey to Azerbaijan by Feride Buyuran
Recipe by AZ Cookbook at https://azcookbook.com/2017/05/17/eggplant-caviar/