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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?
Can this recipe be canned or do you have something similar with eggplants that can be canned
Hello Oksana, I haven’t tried canning this, to be honest, so I can’t really suggest modifications to this recipe. I have seen similar recipes canned but I have not experimented with this one or with an eggplant.
I came across this recipe as I was browsing your site. I grew up eating this on Russian black bread and had forgotten how delicious it is and plan on making this as soon as I can get to the store to get an eggplant! My mother didn’t use carrot but it sounds good so I’m going to try it. Also, instead of diced tomatoes she used chili sauce, the bottled tomato-y kind you find next to the cocktail
sauce. It adds a little spice and a tangy note from the vinegar.
Sounds like a great plan. I cannot wait for you to try this recipe, please share with us how it goes if you finally give it a try!
The Baklazhannaia Ikra recipe is one I have been looking for many years. I remember making & eating it when I was little. So happy you posted this & can’t wait to try making it!! Thank you Natasha!
I’m so glad you found this recipe, Daria! I hope you love it!
Hi great recipe. The title means “egg plant caviar” as a Russian speaker that is the meaning. There’s nothing poor about this recipe as it is a whole different type of caviar that celebrates harvest and having plentiful vegetables
Keep cooking and thank you for sharing!
Thank you for that translate Lourie!
Very good spread!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
It tastes even better, if you keep diced eggplants in salty water for 15-30 minutes before starting cooking them. And in our country we usually sautee all veggies together, in the pot covered with lid, this way less oil is used and ikra stays more juicy and soft :).
thank you for sharing this tip with us Narmina 😀
If I want to add garlic, during what step it would be best to do it? Thanks
Hi Larisa, it depends on how much you love the flavor of garlic – you could add it with the diced tomatoes if you prefer it more mild or add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking for stronger garlic flavor.
its actually eggplant caviar not poor mans caviar. its literally the translation of it.
anyway going to go try this dish out sometime, probably add something of my own to it as i do with all my dishes. thanks for the post.
I hope you enjoyed that, Kirill!
Hey Natasha , do you think if I store it in mason jar as to how long it will stay good?
Hi Tanya, you can store it in the refrigerator in a mason jar or any covered container and it will keep well refrigerated for about a week. I’m not sure if it would work to can it and keep it at room temperature – I haven’t tried that with this recipe. If anyone else has experimented, please let us know.
It is not safe to can eggplant
Hi Natasha
New fan who is trying one of your cole slaw salads tonite and definitely planning on trying this eggplant recipe soon! I love that you use carrot in so many of your dishes. Have always been confused on how to use up my extra carrots! Duh, add a little extra flavor & goodness to another dish! Thank you Natasha, for a wonderful blog, great recipes and some (more) light in my life! 🙂
You’re welcome, Laurie! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Made this last night as I had a big eggplant from my dad’s garden that needed to be used up. I am not an eggplant lover but this spread is super yummy! Not sure if it won me over completely to the Eggplant Lover camp, but next time I get one, I will know what to make. Thanks for another delicious recipe 🙂
You’re so welcome, Maxine! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the wonderful review!
I had remembered that my Czechoslovakian Grandmother used to make this. And I loved it. But this is the first time I’ve made it, minus the carrots, because I remember she did not use carrots in hers. I was just trying to find a recipe like hers and came across yours through google. Very good ! But it is esp nice to know that this recipe is of Slavic origin, like my dear Grandmother.
That’s so great! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for the great review, Surati!
I made the Poor Man’s Caviar ….
I made it yesterday. My wife and I love eggplant and I was running out of ideas. Thank you Natasha, it is delicious!
I didn’t have bell peppers in diferent colors, just green and only a large one. Did not matter, at the end I added one teaspoon of Hungarian paprika powder. We spread it warm on toasted baguette 🥖 bread.
Thank you again!
You’re welcome Roberto! I’m glad to hear the recipe was a success. Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
My mother often made this, and now I do, too. It’s an excellent dip/side dish/pasta topping. It gets better as it ages, too. My mother’s ‘secret ingredient’ was a pinch of instant coffee. I add it, I don’t know if it makes any difference, though. Natasha, thank you for your wonderful website.
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe Christine! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe, Natasha! It is always a treat to cook from your recipes. We are currently in Tajikistan and winter is approaching where we won’t have any vegetables. I am thinking of canning the eggplant spread. Have you ever tried that? Do you think it will work without vinegar or anything acidic?
Hi Ina, I haven’t tried canning this to be honest so I can’t really suggest modifications to this recipe. I have seen similar recipes canned but I have not experimented with this one.
I have canned this successfully many times. The process is the Same as with adjika, or tomato confit. I sterilize the jars, place the hot “eggplant caviar” in, then sterilize the closed jars (I use my pressure cooker for this last step).
I have two jars left on my shelf from last canning season. 8 months later, everything is perfect.
Oh, my goodness! Made this tonight for dinner and my husband and I are in heaven. Using egghplant from our garden and it’s the best eggplant recipe ever. We are just eating it on what was in the house: random toast and Triscuits! Thank you for this. I will serve it as an appetizer at a future extended-family dinner.
I’m happy to hear how much you both enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
I have tried zucchini ikra and I loved it! Never had eggplant ikra before. I’m wondering how the cooking time would change if I were to mix zucchini with eggplant for this recipe? Trying to ease in into the eggplant 😉
Thanks!
Hi Leslie, zucchini cooks a little faster so if you were to put it in at the same time with the eggplant, it might get too soft, but in this recipe it wouldn’t matter since your turning it into a spread anyways. The cook time would be about the same since the eggplant still needs that time to soften.
My mom says to sprinkle the eggplant with salt to get rid of the bitterness, I’ve never worked with eggplants before so I’m wondering, do I have to do anything with the eggplants or do I just cut them up and sauté them?
Hi Inna, I don’t usually do that with this recipe but I think it wouldn’t hurt, just be careful to add salt to taste since you will have some residual salt left on the eggplant.
could you add lemon and garlic?
Hi Suzi, we don’t add those but I think it would add nice flavor adding them to taste.
Holy canoli. Wicked good. Perfect recipe… just perfect. Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear how much you love the recipe! Literally puts a smile on my face! Thanks for sharing your awesome review Lena! 😀
Hi Natasha, I in a proces off making this recipe right now. I have a question, for how long it can stand in the refrigerator? 3 days ? or more?
THank you 🙂
It refrigerates really well and stays fresh for at least a week.
Hi Natasha,
I love your recepies! I’m Ukrainian and learned all my Ukrainian cooking from my mom. We used to make something similar to this and I’ve always liked it.
I’m thinking about making this dish for work potluck. Do you think it will be good cold or room temperature if I made it night before, kept it in the fridge, and brought it over to work with some toasted bread?
PS: your website is a great tool for me to check on recepies I’ve known since childhood, but as we all know, our Mothers say a pinch of this and a bit of that. Nothing is measured and everything is by eye; на глаз/но око 🙂
Almost forgot, do you peel an eggplant or leave the skin on?
For this recipe I peel the eggplant first then dice it.
Yes, this would still taste great cold or at room temperature. It also reheats well if you wanted to serve it warm. But it would taste great either way. I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes and thank you for sharing that with me!
I love all variations of this dish. I know everybody makes it differently and I don’t mean to sound like negative nancy, but simmering it covered for an hour doesn’t make much sense to me.
The vegetables are almost cooked anyway, all you need to do is get rid of the excess water. Don’t cover it, let it cook down uncovered until desired consistency.
Also, try adding a bit of tomato paste – it not only adds deeper flavor and beautiful color, it also thickens the dish. Oh year, and a few squeezes of lemon juice at the end really brighten it up.
Carlos, I like to keep my covered to braze the vegetables so the end result is more of a spread. I find that if the mixture is being cooked without water, it gets dry and I have to continually add water. Thank you for sharing the tips about the tomato paste and lemon. I would like to incorporate them next time 😄.