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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.
Are you a fan of eggplant? What’s your favorite eggplant recipe?