Homemade ajvar
Ajvar is a dip made form vegetables, strictly speaking from peppers. There are several versions of ajvar available. The one with tomatoes is called pindjur and the one with eggplant and mustard is malidzano. If you are ever in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or North Macedonia, be sure to try green pindjur because it is amazing. Below, I am sharing with you the recipe for ajvar with eggplants added to it. You can serve it with meat, vegetables or with bread.
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Ingredients for ajvar.
- 700 g red peppers e.g. bell pepper
- 350 g eggplant
- 4 garlic cloves
- 50 ml olive oil or sunflower oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- a pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
How to make ajvar.
Prick the eggplant in a few places with a fork then place it on a baking tray. Put the red peppers to the same baking tray. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius and put the vegetables in for 50 minutes. Stir them a few times during baking. Once done, take out the baked vegetables, put them in a bowl and cover them with cling film. Set them aside to cool them down. Once cold, remove their skin and seeds, cut them into small pieces and put them in a pot. Add the mashed garlic, oil, salt, pepper and vinegar to it. Put the pot on a heat and fry on a low heat for 30 minutes. Let the soft vegetables cool down then blend them into a creamy mixture.
Good to know when making ajvar.
Eggplant may take longer to bake than peppers. It is good practice to check it with a fork whether the eggplant is soft. If not yet, keep it in the oven for a few more minutes. The skin of the baked vegetables should be practically black and slightly burnt.
I put the baked vegetables in a bowl and let them cool down completely. While they were in there, quite a lot of juice came out of them. I used this juice as well – I added it to the pot when frying the vegetables.
Ajvar tastes great when served with grilled meat, but also with fried chicken, roasted pork neck and schnitzels.
Do you like spreads made from vegetables? If so, try our recipe for White bean and garlic spread.
