Ajvar (red pepper relish)
Often referred to as “Balkan caviar,” ajvar is made primarily from grilled or oven roasted red peppers, sometimes combined with eggplant, garlic, and a blend of spices such as paprika. The process of making ajvar is labor-intensive, involving the roasting, peeling, and grinding of peppers to achieve its characteristic smooth and rich texture. This vibrant red spread is not only a staple in households across countries like Serbia, North Macedonia, and Croatia but also a symbol of communal cooking and cultural heritage. The flavors of ajvar can range from sweet and mild to spicy, catering to a variety of palates and making it a beloved addition to many dishes.
Ajvar’s versatility extends beyond its role as a simple spread. It enhances the flavor of grilled meats, complements cheeses, and can even be used as a base for stews and dishes such as Djuvec rice. In many Balkan households, the preparation of ajvar marks the beginning of autumn, with families gathering to roast peppers over open flames, turning this culinary tradition into a festive occasion. Each jar of ajvar carries the warmth and care of home cooking, preserving the essence of Balkan flavors for the colder months. Whether enjoyed on a slice of fresh bread or as a condiment to a hearty meal, ajvar remains a testament to the rich culinary traditions of the Balkans, connecting generations through its timeless taste.
Hence, whenever you enjoy Ajvar in the restaurant or buy it in the store, keep in heart and mind the artisanal aspect and the price of it – one jar contains approximately 1 kg of red peppers!
Ajvar – so different in every village household
While doing research online to find out how to best prepare an authentic Ajvar, I realized that the recipes vary not only from country to country, but also from family to family. Some say that it has to be made with red peppers only, and that eggplants are a mere sign of cheapness used to fill up the jar. Others, especially found in recipes from Croatia, feature eggplant as a traditional ingredient. This is why I found that somewhere in the middle is what we want to publish here.
This ajvar is pure, and I don’t cook it after roasting. However, it can be an advantage to simmer the ajvar, as a lot of traditional recipes instruct to do, to multiply the flavors.
The Ingredients
- Red peppers – the pointed ones. If you don’t find any, use red bell peppers instead.
- Aubergine – if you want it as pure as possible, you can omit it.
- Paprika powder – use both, the normal and the smoked!
- Sunflower or olive oil
- Lemon juice (traditionally they use vinegar, but I love to use lemon juice whenever I can and it makes the Ajvar so much tastier in my opinion!)
- Salt and pepper
Note: In our household, we decided to not cook neither with onions nor with garlic anymore. They give us plenty of air, and according to Ayurveda it makes meditation, hence the calming of the mind, much more difficult. This is why I don’t use garlic in my Ajvar recipe.
Ajvar (red pepper relish)
Equipment
- 1 Food mill (“Flotte Lotte”) or mincer (“Fleischwolf”) optional, but this would be best
Ingredients
- 3-4 red bell peppers how many fit on your oven tray or grill
- 1/2 aubergine (eggplant)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp apple vinegar
- 1-2 tsp mild paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder – if the ajvar is made in the oven if you don’t have any, you can omit it
Instructions
- Line an oven tray with baking paper or, in case you use your outdoor grill, prepare the grilling grate. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C, or fire your grill.
- For the oven: Cut the peppers in halves, remove the seeds and cut the halves again in halves or quarters (depending on the size of your peppers). Place them, peel on top, on the oven tray. For grilling, skip this step.
- Cut the aubergine in slices (for the oven) or leave it half (wood grill). In my second try I cut off the peel before roasting and this is recommended! I am mentioning this, because on the picture they are still featured with the peel… Place them all together on the oven tray. Tipp: I tried both, leaving the aubergines unoiled or coating them with some olive oil. In my opinion, giving a little bit of oil on the aubergines makes them softer and my Ajvar even better! For the peppers, oil proofed as not necessary.
- Using an oven: Bake the vegetables for ca. 30 minutes. You can use the grill function of your oven for the last 15-20 mins, if you like. The goal is to make the pepper peel turn black and create bubbles and the aubergine skin go wrinkled. Using the wood grill: Place the whole peppers and the half aubergine on the grill. Cook the peppers until blackened all over (10 to 15 minutes) and the aubergine until its skin darkens and wrinkles. Turn them, so they blacken evenly.
- Take the vegetables out of the oven or off the grill, place them in a pot and leave them well covered for ca. 10 minutes. The steam will soften the peppers and make them easier to peel.
- Peel the peppers entirely. Remove any seeds if there still are. If you have been wood grilling: Scoop the flesh out of the aubergine using a spoon.
- If you have a food mill or mincer, press the flesh through your device, place it in a bowl and combine it with the other ingredients. If not, finely chop the vegetables with a good knife and combine the pulp with the other ingredients (traditional method) or you blend everything to a smooth mixture (modern method).
- You can blend the Ajvar for a creamier texture. In some, or in most modern houses, this is common, especially in Croatia and Slovenia, while in Serbia for example it is common to keep the texture the way it is. I like both!
- If you don‘t consume the ajvar the same day or the one after, fill it in a sterilized jar.
