Traditional ajvar recipe from the Balkans

Ajvar is a traditional paté from the Balkan countries that probably arose in response to the need to preserve vegetables throughout the year. Its main ingredient is roasted red pepper and it is a magnificent accompaniment to meat, especially ćevapi, a kind of elongated hamburger typical of those latitudes.

Roast the peppers and eggplant until tender. Remove from the heat, letting the peppers rest inside a container or plastic bag. When they have cooled down, peel the peppers, also discarding the seeds and interior veins. Cut the stem of the eggplant and peel it too. Process the vegetables together with the oil, vinegar, sal, pepper and garlic until obtaining a homogeneous mass without lumps.

Simmer the ajvar in a saucepan over low heat for about 45 minutes, until it has thickened. Taste and correct the amount of salt, pepper, vinegar or oil, according to your taste.

Transfer to a washed glass jar and store in the fridge when it has cooled down.

Tips and tricks:

1. If a grill is not available, then it is possible to bake the vegetables. The result will be very good, but without that wonderful smoky flavor that cooking over direct fire gives.
2. Likewise, it’s possible to skip the second step and keep or consume the ajvar without any simmering. The paste will still be delicious, but this additional step helps the enhance and settle the flavors, bringing out all the notes of the peppers. And the resulting thicker texture of the ajvar is also more interesting.
3. Eggplant is an optional ingredient optional. Adjust also the amount of garlic according to your taste.
4. Sunflower oil is traditionally used in this recipe, due to its neutral taste. But I am always in favor of adding the Mediterranean touch of the extra virgin olive oil.
5. Don’t be surprised if the amount of ajvar seems quite poor in relation to the amount of vegetables. Both peppers and aubergines lose a lot of liquid during cooking and are therefore considerably reduced.
6. Keep in mind that by not following a vacuum-sealed process, it won’t be possible to keep the jar of ajvar for a long time. But it will stay in perfect condition in the fridge without problems for a week. Anyway, if you’re going to enjoy it with ćevapi in a pita bread, most likely it will be finished immediately!