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Eggplants Armenian Style
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients for the Armenian-style eggplants.
Unless your eggplants are a seedless, non-bitter variety, they need the standard preparation. First, thinly peel off the skin. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices about 1 cm thick.
Sprinkle each slice on both sides with rock salt and stack them on a plate. After about 10 minutes the bitter liquid will start to come out.
Meanwhile, deal with the other vegetables. Remove the stem and seeds from the peppers, cutting each in half for convenience, then divide each half into 4 more elongated sections.
Finely chop the onion.
Chop the greens (parsley pairs nicely with eggplants).
Cut the tomatoes in half, removing the green part of the stem, then cut the halves into wedges.
Carry on with the eggplants – they have already beaded with bitter moisture. Pat them dry with a paper towel so the pieces are as dry as possible (that way they absorb less oil while frying and do not splatter).
Fry the eggplants in refined oil not until fully cooked, but just until golden brown.
They will still absorb some oil, so set the pieces on a napkin to soak up the fat.
Do not wash the pan; fry the peppers in it straight away – again not until fully cooked, just until a nice crust forms.
Transfer them to a napkin.
In the same pan, fry the onion until lightly golden.
Add the tomatoes to it.
Warm them through a little – just until they soften.
Squeeze the garlic into the parsley.
Mash the garlic into the green mass so the spicy paste is spread evenly.
Take half of the tomato-and-onion sauce out of the pan.
On the sauce left in the pan, lay a portion of the fried eggplants.
On top of them, add half of the peppers.
Scatter over the spicy parsley.
The next layers repeat, starting again with the tomato sauce.
And so on, up to the final layer of greens. Cover the pan with a lid. Let the whole construction simmer under it for 10 minutes.
The Armenian eggplants begin to give off a hot aroma of garlic and vegetables. That is the signal – the dish is ready. You can serve it in individual portions in small salad bowls or on a shared platter. The hot dish has a very expressive taste that makes you eat one more piece, and another. But the cooled salad is delicious too!Enjoy your meal!
Tips
- 1
FRY SEPARATELY – cook the eggplants, peppers and onion one after another in the same pan. This gives a "multi-layered" range of flavour.
- 2
PAT DRY BEFORE FRYING – the eggplants should be dry. Otherwise they will "splatter" and soak up a lot of oil.
- 3
GARLIC WITH GREENS is the "secret" of the dish. Mashing it into the greens gives a "mild" garlic aroma without a sharp note.
- 4
ALTERNATING LAYERS – sauce/eggplant/pepper/parsley. The same principle works in other kinds of Caucasian vegetable appetisers.
FAQ
Which variety of eggplant should I choose? +
Young, firm eggplants are ideal: "Almaz", "Epic F1", "Black Beauty", "Caspian". Go for a medium size (200–300 g), a glossy skin and a green stem. Non-bitter varieties (labelled "without seeds and bitterness") do not need salting. Older, large eggplants (from 400 g) must be salted to remove the bitterness; their colour is dark purple. "White" eggplants (Iceberg, Swan) are more tender and are not bitter. Frozen eggplant will not do – it "falls apart" when fried. Buy in season (August to September) – it is cheaper and tastier.
What can replace ground pepper? +
The alternatives: greenhouse bell pepper (more "tender", less aromatic), frozen sweet pepper (a handy option in winter), pepper canned in its own juice (for a "quick" version), roasted pepper from a jar (a more "smoky" taste). Hot chilli pepper (1/4) – for a "spicy" version. Ground pepper is more aromatic than greenhouse pepper, with dense flesh, and is a classic for Armenian cuisine. The best varieties: "California Wonder", "Bogatyr", "Atlant". The colours – green (young), red, yellow – all work. For a "striking" presentation, use 3 colours in different layers.
How long does the dish keep? +
In the fridge in a sealed container – 3–4 days. On the second day the taste is brighter, as the ingredients "settle". Reheat in a covered pan for 5–7 minutes or in the microwave for 2–3 minutes. It can be served cold – the dish is tasty cold too. In the freezer I do not recommend it: the vegetables will "fall apart" after thawing. It is ideal to make for 2–3 meals – "lunch for several days". Do not leave it at room temperature for longer than 2 hours in the heat. For "freshness" when serving, sprinkle with fresh parsley and coriander and add a drop of olive oil.
What to serve with eggplants Armenian style? +
A Caucasian classic: with shashlik, lyulya-kebabs, chanakhi and khashlama. With lavash, white bread or khachapuri. With a shot of brandy or a glass of dry red wine (Saperavi, Akhasheni). With boiled chicken or beef – a "full lunch". For a summer serving – with iced tea or ayran. With pickled onion and a green salad. For a vegan version – as a standalone main dish. For a picnic – it "survives" the journey well. Garnish with sprigs of parsley and coriander and slices of lemon when serving. With a glass of cold champagne or rosé – a summer option.
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