Ajapsandal

Ajapsandal or ajapsandali is a fragrant dish made from eggplant, tomato and sweet pepper. The process of preparing ajapsandal is unusual in that all vegetables are first fried separately, and then, seasoned with spices, garlic, and fresh herbs, they are stewed together. It is at this moment that the real culinary magic happens.

Cook: 1 hour 35 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• Eggplant – 1 kg
• Tomatoes – 700 g
• Sweet pepper – 500 g
• Carrots – 500 g
• Onions – 250 g
• Garlic – 6 cloves
• Fresh chili pepper – 1 pc.
• Fresh basil – 10 g
• Cilantro – 30 g
• Fresh parsley – 10 g
• Utskho-suneli – 1/2 teaspoon
• Saffron – 1/2 teaspoon
• Ground black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon.
• Ground coriander – 1/2 teaspoon
• Coarse salt – 1 teaspoon.
• Salt – 3 tbsp
• Vegetable oil – 80 ml

Directions

1. Cut the eggplants into semicircles 7-8 mm thick, sprinkle with 3 tbsp salt and mix well. Leave the eggplants for 30 minutes. Then rinse off salt under running water and squeeze well.

   

2. Meanwhile, cut the onion into small cubes.
3. Cut the carrots in half and cut into halves 5 mm thick slices.
4. Cut the bell peppers into cubes.
5. Finely chop hot peppers (without seeds).

   

6. Grate tomatoes on a coarse grater, discard the skin.
7. Heat 60 ml of vegetable oil in a frying pan, put the eggplants, and fry them until tender, about 15 minutes. The eggplants should be soft, but not mushy. Transfer the eggplants to a separate bowl.
8. In the same pan, fry the peppers until tender, over medium heat, about 10-15 minutes. Add vegetable oil if necessary. The pepper should be soft, but not out of shape. Remove the pepper from the pan.
9. Fry the onions for 3 minutes.

   

10. Add carrots, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The carrots should be soft, but not out of shape.
11. Finely chop the parsley, basil, and cilantro. Crush the garlic in a mortar, add cilantro, and 1 teaspoon. coarse salt, mix everything until a homogeneous paste.

    

12. Put the fried eggplants, peppers, onions with carrots, hot peppers, grated tomatoes, basil, parsley, saffron, utskho-suneli, ground coriander, ground pepper in a saucepan with a thick bottom and mix everything well.

    

13. Simmer vegetables over low heat for 15 minutes.
14. Add cilantro with garlic and stir.
15. Ajapsandali is ready. Delicate vegetable stew, in which the taste of each vegetable miraculously creates a unique culinary masterpiece.

Enjoy your meal!

Also Like