Ajvar (Serbian Roasted Red Pepper Spread)
Local name: ајвар
In short: Red peppers and eggplant roasted until blackened, peeled, minced and cooked down with oil into a thick, smoky spread for bread and grilled meat. It takes about 3 h in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h 45 min
- Total
- 3 h
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 135 kcal
Every autumn Serbian families roast peppers by the crate, peel them at the kitchen table and stir pots of ajvar for hours. The finished spread is smoky, sweet and a little tangy, and it goes with bread, grilled meat, cheese pies and fried eggs. This smaller batch skips the canning and keeps in the fridge. Use long red peppers if you can find them, and be patient while it thickens.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 240°C (475°F). Prick the eggplant a few times with a fork. Lay the peppers and eggplant on two trays and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning twice, until the pepper skins are black and blistered and the eggplant has collapsed.
- Move everything to a large bowl, cover tightly with a lid or foil and let it steam for 20 minutes. This loosens the skins.
- Peel the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, and scoop the eggplant flesh out of its skin. Drain everything in a colander for 30 minutes, pressing gently to release the liquid.
- Chop the vegetables finely by hand or pulse them in short bursts in a food processor. The texture should be coarse, not a smooth puree.
- Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 45 to 60 minutes until thick, dark and jam-like. Add the rest of the oil in two portions during cooking.
- Stir in the vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic for the last 5 minutes. Cool, then spoon into clean jars and refrigerate.
Tips
- Roast the peppers over charcoal or a gas flame if you can. The smoky char is what makes ajvar taste like the real thing.
- For hot ajvar, roast 2 or 3 fresh hot peppers with the rest and add them to the pot, or stir in 1 tsp chili flakes at the end.
Questions and answers
How long does homemade ajvar keep?
In clean jars in the fridge, with a thin layer of oil on top, it keeps for up to 2 weeks. This batch is not meant for shelf-stable canning.
Can I freeze ajvar?
Yes. Freeze it in small containers for up to 6 months and thaw in the fridge. Stir well after thawing.
What is ajvar served with?
Bread, grilled meat such as ćevapi, cheese, fried eggs and burek. In Serbia it is also a standard spread for sandwiches.
How long does it take to make Ajvar (Serbian Roasted Red Pepper Spread)?
About 3 h in total: 1 h 15 min of preparation and 1 h 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Ajvar (Serbian Roasted Red Pepper Spread)?
About 135 kcal per serving, with 2 g of protein, 12 g of carbohydrates and 9 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 135 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 300 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
