Ajvar is a tangy sweet and sour red pepper and aubergine dip from the Balkans. It's so versatile. Use it as a spread, a sauce or a salad dressing even. This version has just a touch of heat from the chilli pepper too!
Prick the aubergine and red peppers and place in a roasting tin with the chilli pepper and garlic cloves. Keep the skins on the garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil and rub it into the vegetables.
Roast the vegetables in the oven at 200°c for about 45 minutes. You may need to take the garlic and chilli pepper out earlier if they are beginning to brown too much.Alternatively if you have an air fryer, you can air fry the vegetables and they will be done in about 30 minutes.
Take the peppers and aubergine out of the oven when they are soft and the skins are blackened. Put the peppers in a plastic bag and tie the end.
Slice the aubergine in half and scrape out the flesh. Cut the chilli pepper in half and scrape out the flesh, squeeze the garlic cloves to get the roasted garlic out. Take the peppers out of the bag and peel the skins off as well as remove the seeds.
If there are lots of seeds sticking to the peppers, just dip them briefly in water and the seeds will be removed.
Put all the vegetables in a food processor and blitz to get a paste.
Put the oil in a saucepan and add the blitzed vegetables from the food processor. Heat gently and simmer for about half an hour.
3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
When the ajvar is ready, season with a little salt and pepper and stir in the vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, pinch black pepper, pinch salt
Chill until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and a guideline only.