Spicy Eggplant Caviar

Ingredients

• Eggplants 5 lbs
• Onion 0 lbs
• Tomatoes 0 lbs
• Carrot 0 lbs
• Sweet Pepper 30 oz
• Basil 2 sprigs
• Parsley 0 oz
• Ground Black Pepper a pinch
• Green peppercorns a pinch
• Bay leaf 2 pieces
• Saffron a pinch
• Salt to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

The eggplants for the caviar should be soft on the inside and seedless. In July, they are all young and seedless. Mature eggplants would have prominent seeds, which would end up in the caviar.

Step 2

Chop the young tomatoes randomly; there's no need to peel them since their skin is thin and won't be noticeable in the caviar. However, if the tomatoes have thick skin, it's best to remove it. Also, chop the onion randomly, and grate the carrot on a coarse grater. Remove the seeds from the pepper and chop it randomly.

Step 3

Peel the eggplants to avoid any bitterness. Cut them into 1 cm cubes. Eggplants darken quickly, but that's not a concern.

Step 4

Cook all the ingredients separately. This way, it's clear when each component is ready. Start with the onion. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, add the onion, and sauté it until it becomes golden and translucent. To achieve this, first sauté the onion over high heat for about five minutes, stirring frequently, and then cover and simmer on low heat for about five to ten minutes. Transfer the onion to a pot.

Step 5

Add more oil to the skillet and toss in the carrots. The carrots should also become slightly translucent. Cook them the same way as the onions – first over high heat, then covered on low heat. Transfer the carrots to the onions, trying to keep the oil in the skillet, as excess fat is not needed in the caviar. Immediately mix the carrots and onions in the pot.

Step 6

Sauté the peppers in the same way as the carrots and onions. Once cooked, add them to the pot and mix everything together.

Step 7

The peppers absorb almost all the oil, so you need to add a little more and cook the tomatoes. It's the same process as with the previous vegetables. In the final stage of cooking the tomatoes, you should add a couple of cloves of garlic, sauté them together for 2 minutes, and then add the cooked tomatoes to the pot with the other vegetables and move on to the eggplants.

Step 8

Turn the heat up to maximum under the skillet, heat the oil, add the eggplants, and sprinkle with salt — a good pinch is needed. When the eggplants start to sizzle, reduce the heat and cover to simmer.

Step 9

Add one third of the eggplants to the pot and puree them until the mixture has a thick, grainy texture.

Step 10

Chop the herbs and add them to the remaining eggplants. Sauté for a couple of minutes to allow the herbs to release their flavor and aroma, while retaining their color and texture.

Step 11

Transfer everything from the frying pan to a pot and stir with a spatula. Add salt to taste (1–2 tablespoons), a pinch of ground pepper, a pinch of whole peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a pinch of saffron.

Step 12

Transfer the caviar to sterilized jars and seal them with screw caps. The caviar can be enjoyed immediately; it does not require aging. However, it will keep well in these jars until winter.