Ajvar (Balkan Pepper Spread)
Ajvar (pronounced “aye-var”) is a roasted red pepper spread (or “relish”), extremely popular in Balkan countries, but apparently with Serbian origins. The simplest version of ajvar contains only peppers and garlic, but many people add aubergines and this is what I did. The Turkish biber salçası and Romanian zacuscă are similar spreads, although the latter contains a smaller proportion of peppers.
A couple of years ago I bought a jar of ajvar in a nearby shop. It was inedible. When Ping (from Ping’s Pickings) proudly presented her home-made ajvar, I realised I had probably been unlucky with the low-quality commercial brand. From what I know Ping doesn’t have Balkan origins and doesn’t even live in Europe, so her enthusiastic comments were even more convincing. Then Mr. Three-Cookies (Three Cookies and Easily Good Eats blogs) prepared it too and his successful results were more than enough to make me dream of home-made ajvar. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to prepare it last year, but I have never forgotten about it (I keep on seeing the hated commercial jars quite often!).
A couple of days ago I stumbled upon very cheap Hungarian (read: the best) long red peppers, the perfect variety to prepare ajvar. I have bought three kilos and embarked on the ajvar adventure too. I will not lie. Even though ajvar is not difficult, the whole process is long, requires a lot of work and the yield is low. Apart from these “details”, this spread (or relish) is totally worth all the hassle. It tastes like nothing I have ever eaten, is versatile, addictive and amazingly good. It’s a fantastic bread spread for toasts, sandwiches, wraps, tortillas and it can also be served as a dip with snacks or sauce with grilled meat. Look out for cheap peppers and prepare it. I promise you will not regret the efforts.
My recipe is a mixture of what I found on Ping’s blog, Mr. Three-Cookies’s blog and a Serbian blog called Palachinka. Thank you so much, Ping and Mr. Three-Cookies, for the inspiration and for emboldening me to prepare this unique, wonderful dish. Thank you, Marija, for the extremely helpful photos and useful tips!)
TIPS: I wanted my ajvar a bit spicy, hence the chili peppers, but mild version is probably more popular.
Apparently the best texture is obtained with a meat grinder, but since I don’t have one, I quickly mixed everything in a food processor.
This is a short-term, fridge preserve. The author of Palachinka advises covering with hot oil and adding sodium benzoate (which I even happen to have), but since my yield was only about one litre and since it quickly “melts” every day, I thought I will not bother with it. If you want to keep the jars in the pantry, check how to do it on her blog.
Preparation: 2 days
Ingredients (yields about 1 litre):
3 kg (about 6,6 lbs) red long sweet peppers (at worst you can use bell peppers; they have a
thicker skin, so the yield will be higher, but they are less aromatic)
500 g (about 1,1 lb) aubergines
5 big garlic cloves, peeled
4 tablespoons oil
about 1 flat tablespoon salt (or more/less to taste)
Wash the peppers, grill them whole either on a grill or (like me) under the broiler until the skin is charred and starts showing “blisters”. Turn them to roast the other side and wait until the skin is charred too.
Put the still hot peppers in a well closed plastic bag or in a big pan, tightly covered with a lid, and leave overnight.
Proceed the same way with aubergines and chilies.
The following day, put on the gloves (otherwise your fingers and nails will be red for many days), peel the peppers and chilies, discarding the stems and removing all the seeds (the seeds you see on the photo come from the aubergine).
Peel the aubergines and remove the stalks.
Grind the aubergines, the peppers, the chilies and the garlic in a meat grinder or mix in a food processor. (Do not insist too much, the mixture should be slightly coarse).
Put everything into a pan, add half of the salt, all the oil and simmer on a very low heat for about two hours, constantly stirring (it burns easily) until there is no liquid separated from the ground vegetables. Taste after two hours and add more salt if needed. Simmer for 15 more minutes until the salt is completely dissolved.
Keep in a closed container or jars, in a colder part of the fridge for at least a month.
We make something similar in Greece and it tastes so good over a slice of warm bread. I think this one would have the same success in my home!
Thank you, Katerina. I had no idea there was something similar in Greece. Thank you for letting me know.
Whooo! That looks fiery! and such a gorgeous color!
Now this is getting me all excited over ajvar again! I’ve learnt to not make too big an amount. Did that the last time and found that it doesn’t keep well. Small amounts, eat quickly, yum and then make some more 🙂
Thanks for the link back, Sissi!
Thank you very much, Ping. I don’t remember, but have you cooked it for a long time? I think that the longer you simmer it, the longer it keeps in the fridge. I have had mine for three weeks now in the coldest part of the fridge (but not frozen of course) and it’s as good as new. The Serbian blogger explains that as long as the juice is separating from the pepper spread, it should be simmered.
Thank you once more for the inspiration and for convincing me that ajvar must be good.
Cook? Oh, was I suppose to cook it? I don’t believe I did! Oh duh. The recipe I’d got just blended all the roasted veges together. Hmm … will cook it next batch. It will be so nice to be able to keep a couple of bottles around.
I haven’t noticed that you didn’t cook it at all! I have had mine in the fridge for over a month now and it’s still fresh and delicious, so I think cooking and evaporating liquids definitely helps to preserve it for longer.
This looks perfect
Thank you.
It does look lovely. I have never tasted ajvar before…I might have to make so I can try it! 🙂
Thanks a lot, Lyndsey. If you don’t live near people with Balkan origins, you might have to make it. On the other hand I wouldn’t advise the commercial one. You never know…
My little girl and I were discussing other than the normal butter and jam, what else is there to use as break topping? Well if I had your patients, this Ajvar would definitely be making a appearance in my house! Bet it tastes wonderful, and is super healthy, just look at that beautiful vibrant color!
Thanks a lot, Jeno. I laughed a lot imagining someone who substitutes ajvar for butter and jam 😉 Some people say it’s not healthy because it’s simmered for hours, but I’m sure it still has fiber and is probably the lowest calorie bread spread I know (certainly lighter than pesto).
This story is a good example how we benefit from following each other’s blogs. Your ajvar looks magnificent Sissi – I wish I could taste it. I am sure this is way way better than the pepper spread I made last year. The ingredients and the process tell me so.
Thank you very much, Zsuzsa. Contrary to the unusual plum and chocolate jam, I’m sure you would love this one. I don’t have the slightest doubt. (Not only because it was made with Hungarian peppers 😉 ). I must check your pepper spread. I have completely forgotten it!
Interesting. I must confess, I never had any good tasting ajvar before and I bought some of serbian origin already. In fact it was always a watery oily mixture with no signs of any special flavour: Nothing compared toe.g. mojo rosso. But maybe I should try this one, sounds perfect to me.
Thank you, Kiki. Actually I had exactly the same experience as you (I have thrown the whole jar into the bin), but this home-made version is completely different. I have read somewhere that commercial ajvar is often made with boiled or steamed pepper and not roast and I can imagine how it makes the taste dull… Maybe they also cheat on pepper content? This one is very condensed taste wise.
Welcome to the ajvar hall of fame:) Thanks for the mention. Glad you liked it, the result looks amazing. Its making me salivate!
Thanks for the detailed info
Thank you very much, Mr. Three-Cookies. Without your and Ping’s enthusiastic posts I would never think that ajvar could be so good.
Another new one for me Sissi, but as always it sounds delish and right up my alley. 🙂
Thanks a lot, Jed.
A delightful and delightfully simple relish which I have already bookmarked and will certainly make once our pepper season comes into full swing – yes, methinsk I would add the eggplant to the mix too 🙂 !
Thank you very much, Eha. I hope you will try it because it’s really delicious, crowd-pleasing and versatile.
Not surprised you wanted yours spicy! 🙂 I’m not familiar with ajvar, but since I do love the combination of peppers and eggplant I have the feeling that I would love this relish! And like you, I would definitely make it spicy! Beautiful jar of relish!
Thank you very much, MJ. My husband said I should add more chili and more garlic next time too.
I’m new to ajvar but roasted red pepper sounds so good. I like your new size of photo – did you crop it? It reminds me of Instagram square and it’s really cute! Mr. Three Cookies commented here today. I wonder how he’s doing…. 🙂
Thank you so much, Nami. I’m ashamed but I was so furious that not a single out of my dozens of photos was good, I didn’t resize the photo correctly. Then I saw it was different and thought no one would notice 😉 You have eyes of the lynx! I hope Mr. Three-Cookies will post again one day… but it’s a huge pleasure to see him commenting here.
Hi Sissi – this reminds me a bit of my harissa that I make… although without the aubergines. The colours are similar because I always use Antillean Habanero chillies instead of the ones traditionally used. That is to say – I love how rich and “glossy” your ajvar looks, although I’ll admit to having never heard of it – I can imagine the flavour though… I love roasted peppers and with the garlic and aubergine in there too… yum!
Thank you very much, Charles. Isn’t harissa with lots of oil? Here there is just a tiny amount of oil and the taste is not oily at all.
Not too much oil… I usually end up adding loads to keep a seal around the top and stop it from going off, but yeah, I meant mainly in the rich colour and look that it reminded me of harissa… mm, I could do with some of that too now :p
I just know the commercial harissa served in kebab shops 🙁 Home-made one must be so much better… (And it’s not that I mind oil in hot seasonings! The Japanese taberu rayu I have posted recently is soaked with oil and soooo good).
You have just reminded me that I must make one day a very hot sauce my favourite pizzeria makes (they even gave me the simple recipe!). I have another hot Thai sauce in plans… in short the colder it gets the more I crave hot food.
Ah yes, I’ve been admiring the long sweet local red peppers here in Ontario and now I have a good idea what to do with them! The colour of your ajvar is really amazing Sissi – so deep and robust – very attractive. I might sub in onion or mushroom for the aubergines – I usually do zucchini but I’m not in the mood – (my husband doesn’t tolerate eggplant at all). The garlic must be splendid in here as well – such delightful flavours! We would love this relish with wraps or simply spread over chicken breast; delish.
Thank you so much, Kelly. It might be the last time you can prepare ajvar this year then! I would advise against mushrooms here. I think they might spoil the taste. Not sure about onions either… If I were you I would just make it only with peppers (many people say traditional ajvar is made only with peppers) and then you can add fried mushroom or chopped raw onion just before serving. I hope you can make it.
If you, Ping and Mr. Three Cookies endorse this, it must be amazing! I need my first taste of ajvar…and soon! (It’s so beautiful, too!).
Thanks a lot, Liz.
This I know! I’ve had this spread at a Serbian/ Bosnian restaurant with the cevapi which is so delicious too.
Good job on the ajvar! Looks great.
Nazneen
Thank you so much, Nazneen. I’m glad you like ajvar. I suppose you had good quality ajvar in the Serbian restaurant.
What an incredible sauce Sissi and your description is perfect to get anyone excited to spend three days making it. Since it’s just JT and I, I won’t make a large batch but like Ping, I’ll give this a go in smaller batches. I roast peppers on a regular basis (in fact, I had to throw a batch into the freezer the day before we left on vacation), so next time I do I will remember to try this recipe.
Thank you so much, Eva. This is an incredible spread. As good as pesto or other fat and high calorie spread, but so guiltless… It is really worth making if you like roast pepper (it is also versatile: garlic and chili amounts depend on your preferences). If you have a big freezer you can also freeze it.
Oh yumminess! I love this on sandwiches and in pasta. I’ve been meaning to make some at home, but just as the pickled capsicum, the season got away with me… Must make next year, thanks for the recipe Sissi.
Thank you, Martyna. I have never tried it in pasta. Good idea!
I have yet to try this spread but it looks bloody (ha!) gorgeous. I love chilli spreads of all sorts though, sambal of course, but also the many variations you get in different countries, like harissa etc. I must try this one day! And lucky you for being able to get hold of cheap hungarian long red peppers!
Thanks a lot, Shu Han. This is a rather mild spread (even though I have added some chilies), but thanks to this it’s very versatile. I think next year I will prepare it with very hot chilies, so that I keep the sweet Hungarian pepper taste, but it will be more fiery.
Sissi, your Ajvar turned out fabulous, with the rich color, and the right amount of texture…thanks for the link to Palachinka. She has the whole step-by-step production with such amazing photos, as well! A Hungarian food blogger friend of mine also made this recently, she claims it’s from Transylvania (Romania) I suppose every region in Eastern Europe makes this amazing spread. I just have to find some of these long red sweet peppers…after all, that’s the main ingredient!
Thank you so much, Elisabeth. As I have mentioned above they have something similar apparently in Romania called “zakuska” which is a Russian word meaning appetiser 😉 I think it’s completely unknown in whole Eastern or Central Europe and made only in Balkans (so for example not in Poland, Russia, etc.).
I’ve really the colour of your Ajvar! I’ve seen this on Mr Three Cookies blog before but I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. From the looks of it, I shouldn’t be rushing to the supermarket to get one. I really intrigued by it!
Thank you, Sylvia. The commercial one I tasted was awful, but maybe I was unlucky…
Hi Sissi,
This looks absolutely gorgeous! The hard part would be waiting to eat it but one definitely to give a go-thank you so much indeed for the recipe-off now to get the ingredients…
Thank you so much, Green Dragonette. I hope you can try it one day. It’s such an easy and rewarding dish.
Sissi you rock!!! You love Japan (and Japanese food) and you love ajvar!!I am addicted to this stuff!!! I live in Croatia at the moment but I totally agree the best ajvar I had was in Serbia. There is a shop in Belgrade called “Hleb i Kifle” and they make the most delicious ajvar ever! 🙂
Thank you, Maria! Jewels can be found in every country, although of course there are such cuisines as Japanese where I love 99% of the dishes.
Ohhh, I love ajvar, especially with cevapcici!!
Hi Giulia, I’m glad you are also a fan.