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This sauteed eggplant spread can be served as a main course or appetizer. “Baklazhannaia Ikra” means “poor man’s caviar.” The ingredients are simple but the flavors are spectacular, which is exactly what I love about the Slavic cuisine!
Eggplant is definitely a popular ingredient in Russian and Ukrainian cooking and it tastes amazing when prepared correctly. Unfortunately it is under-appreciated in US cuisine. I guess if you don’t know – you don’t know! No worries though, if you’re an eggplant lover, you’ve come to the right blog. I have plenty of truly delicious options on my site and this week I’m sharing 2 new eggplant recipes that will satisfy even the fiercest craving for this beautiful purple fruit.
Aunt Tanya shared this recipe with my Mom who shared it with us. We ate a whole lot of eggplant these past two weeks = happy me! If you aren’t a fan of eggplant recipes, I believe this one will change your mind 😉
Ingredients for Eggplant Spread Recipe:
2 lbs eggplant, peeled and diced
2 bell peppers (preferably red, yellow, or orange), diced
2 to 3 medium carrots, grated
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 medium tomatoes
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Canola oil or extra light olive oil to sauté
How to Make Sauteed Eggplant Spread:
1. Place a large non-stick pan over medium/ high heat and add 3-4 Tbsp oil. Add eggplant and saute, stirring occasionally until softened and moist (15-20 min), adding more oil if needed to keep it from sticking to the bottom.
2. At the same time, in a separate large skillet, add 2 Tbsp oil, diced bell pepper, grated carrots and finely diced onion. Saute until golden and softened (10-15 minutes). Combine with eggplant mixture
3. Add diced tomatoes, season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. It is done when there is no liquid pooling and the mixture is a spreadable and still somewhat chunky consistency.
Serve eggplant spread with crusty bread. So delicious!
Eggplant Spread Recipe (Baklazhannaia Ikra)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs eggplant, peeled and diced
- 2 bell peppers, preferably red, yellow, or orange, diced
- 2 to 3 medium carrots, grated
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- Canola oil or extra light olive oil to sauté
Instructions
- Place a large non-stick pan over medium/ high heat and add 3-4 Tbsp oil. Add eggplant and saute, stirring occasionally until softened and moist (15-20 min), adding more oil if needed to keep it from sticking to the bottom.
- At the same time, in a separate large skillet, add 2 Tbsp oil, diced bell pepper, grated carrots and finely diced onion. Saute until golden and softened (10-15 minutes). Combine with eggplant mixture
- Add diced tomatoes, season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, reduce heat to low,
- cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. It is done when there is no liquid pooling and the mixture is a spreadable and still somewhat chunky consistency. Serve eggplant spread with crusty bread.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Are you a fan of eggplant? What’s your favorite eggplant recipe?
wow!!! I couldn’t stop “tasting” it… it is soooo good! thank you Natasha for this awesome recipe! delicious!
Ha! That’s always a good thing ;). Thank you for the wonderful review! 🙂
this ikra is so so so delicious. one of my favorites by far. how would i add some kick to it? jalapenos?
Hi Mary! I think jalapeños would be a nice touch to add some heat. If you love heat and jalapenos, I do hope you give this recipe a try sometime 🙂
Looks delicious ! Will try this weekend. Would adding garlic be a good combination?
Hi Lora, you can add garlic if you like. It wouldn’t hurt to add it 🙂
This is AMAZING. First time I made it, my 1 year old and I devoured it all in one day. Making it again today and doubling the recipe!
That is so awesome!! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review! 🙂
Made this on sunday. I like it so much that I went to buy more eggplants and peppers, since its the season now and will make couple more batches for freezing. Yes its that good and so simple. But what I did is I charred the eggplant on the grill, quick blend in the vitamix and then added it into the other mix. Gave it a very very nice smokey flavour. Love it!!!!
I love that you charred the eggplant on the grill. I’m sure that added some great flavor to the dish! 🙂 Thank you for your awesome review and for sharing on Instagram. That was awesome!
You always have great recipes! I love eggplant so I’m definitely going to try this one!
Give it a try, it won’t disappoint 😀.
Thank you very much for your Russian/Ukrainian recipes, I was foolish enough not to learn these when my grandmother was around. You are helping me atone for my past mistakes with each recipe.
I’m so glad my blog is a resource for you to rediscover old favorites. That’s part of my goal for this site and reading your comment has me grinning big 🙂
Love your recipes. I follow your Instagram, they are really good. I will definitely try this one too.
Thank you for following along! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the recipes 🙂
Mmmmm wow Natasha this eggplant ikra spread looks really way good and yummmm wonder if it’ll work if I roast some or all of the veggies or is it best in the pan nevertheless job well done babes happy blessed Sunday cheers
Hi Tzivia, with this recipe, it works best if it’s done in the pan since you want the veggies to steam/braise and turn into a spreadable consistency 🙂
Ok sure making it all one pan it is hey less cleanup mmmmm can’t wait to try this out gurl have a gr8 day and super cool week ahead cheers
Wow, this is good — another excellent recipe, Natasha! Between this and the cabbage rolls, you’re teaching me to have greater appreciation for the carrot! These tried and true home recipes are always the best. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Thanks for the awesome review 🙂
Did you know you are my food angel? Let me explain… Okay so I love this eggplant stuff and ever since getting married and becoming an adult, I’ve been wanting to make this.. And you know you are a good Russian wife when you have successfully made borsh, bulochki (with yeast) and eggplant ikra, am I right? Haha so anyways, to fulfill my rite of passage as a good wife, I set out to make this recipe on my own. My mom only gave me the ingredients and that’s it. But being new at this, I was unsure of the steps, I thought… I’ll just check Natasha’s site, maybe she has it up…. And low and behold!! It is HERE! in front of my face! 😀 so I made it and it’s amazing and you are my food angel cause this has happened before. Life is good, thanks Natash 😉
Awww!! That’s the sweetest comment I’ve received in awhile. Thank you Yana 🙂 🙂 🙂
Natashas I prickl my eggplant with a fork or knife and then roast it in the oven 30 to 45 minutes, then cut open the skin and scoop out the filling. This saves me the step of peeling it and dicing it. Anything that makes less work for me.
That’s a great tip Olga, thank you for sharing it with us 😀.
Olga, What was F degree you used ?as I’d like bake mine in oven as well vs stovetop
can you canned this spread? how long will it last in the fridge in a jar?
Hi Tanya, I’ve never canned this before but when I asked my Mom, she said it would probably work to can it, just be sure to sterilize the jars beforehand and add the mixture piping hot to the jars before sealing them.
This looks good, Natasha! I can probably eat this in one seating, just munching with pita chips, like how we do with chips and salsa, I have a feeling this is addicting in that sort of way! 😉
Ooooh I love the idea of serving this with pita chips. Yum!!
I remember baklazannaja ikra from my childhood, my mom used to make it and it is delicious. We didn’t add bell peppers and carrots, but we did put few minced garlic cloves in the end.
I love your variation of eggplant spread and will definitely will give it a try.
That is the best when food bring back some nice memories from the childhood 😄. That’s so great!
Hello Natasha! In Greece, where I am from, we have a similar recipe, where whole large eggplants are grilled (and tasted smoked), then put in a plastic bag for a few minutes so that they can be peeled off their skin easily, and then we add the rest og the ingredients. We grill the peppers (red and green) in the same way. Lots of extra virgin olive oil, and onion, fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper+
= HEAVEN!!! You have a great day!
That sounds really good Noppy, reading your comment is making me hungry 😋.
I make this all the time but also add pressed garlic with onions sometimes zucchini and at the end add couple tablespoons of mayo…. yummm.
Mmm I love your add-in ideas! I’ll have to try that next time 🙂
Natashenka you think i can do canning it? seems like would be good for winter too:)
HI Viktoriya, I’ve never canned this before but when I asked my Mom, she said it would probably work to can it, just be sure to sterilize the jars beforehand and add the mixture piping hot to the jars before sealing them.
Definitely going to make this. How long will it last in the fridge? My husband and kids won’t eat peppers or eggplants, so it’ll be up to me to finish it. And I will definitely add garlic. Lots of it😍💚
Hi Marina, we haven’t tested the limits on it but it will last at least a week in the refrigerator 🙂 I hope you LOVE it! 🙂
How long can you keep this?
We haven’t tested the limits on it but it can last at least a week in the refrigerator 🙂