The principles of cooking eggplant in Armenian for everyday use and as preparation for the winter
A wonderful dish with a bright flavor eggplant and a piquant bitterness has long occupied a worthy place not only on the dinner, but also on the festive table. It is impossible to prepare all the eggplant-based appetizers in Eastern cuisine, however, you simply must try these. We offer you proven recipes for cooking eggplant in Armenian step by step with photos. They cook quickly, but are eaten instantly!
Read also: eggplants for the winter like mushrooms - a delicious recipe!
What is the best eggplant to choose
Fresh eggplant has a green stalk and smooth skin without damage. Choosing fresh vegetables, you can prepare the most delicious Armenian eggplant recipe for the winter without much hassle. Overripe and lain for a long time in the refrigerator are blue, it is better to put it on caviar.
Armenian style marinated eggplants
Hostesses process eggplant in different versions of this recipe in their own way. You can simply wash the fruit and remove the stalk. You can peel the vegetable from the skin, but with it the eggplant retains its shape better. Which option to choose is up to you, this will not affect the taste of the dish. The cold appetizer tastes especially good, so it is served directly from the refrigerator to the table. Thanks to pickling, the dish turns out with a pleasant sourness, it just melts in your mouth!
The recipe for marinated eggplants in Armenian is handed down by Armenian families from generation to generation. Since then, the recipe has undergone many changes, and all this is due to the fact that someone prefers to add a lot of hot peppers or, conversely, garlic to an appetizer. You can store them in the refrigerator for a whole week, during which time the vegetables will marinate well.
Required Ingredients:
- eggplant - 4 pcs;
- sweet peppers - 3 pcs;
- bitter pepper and garlic, taking into account the taste;
- parsley;
- 9% table vinegar - 90 ml;
- salt - 30 gr;
- sugar - 20 gr;
- spices (coriander, suneli hops, ground pepper).
Wash the eggplants, make cuts lengthwise and boil in salted water for 3-4 minutes. Willingness to check with a wooden stick, the skin should be slightly elastic when pierced.
It is important not to overcook vegetables, otherwise they will be soft and tasteless!
Remove them from the pan and cool, and in the meantime, finely chop the herbs, peppers and garlic. If desired, vegetables can be minced or use a blender. Mix the vegetable mixture with the spices and fill the eggplant with them. Put in a saucepan, add sugar, pour in vinegar. Pour the Armenian-style eggplants with warm boiled water, so that the liquid covers the vegetables. You don't need to pour too much water, the vegetables will let the juice out.
Put a press on top, stand for 12 hours, then cool and serve.
Armenian eggplant recipe for the winter
As a rule, the idea of conservation eggplant for the winter causes a storm of indignation, especially among novice housewives. For some reason, they think that this is a very laborious process, they do not always understand what the result will be.We offer you to diversify the contents of the blanks with new types of preservation. For example, eggplant in Armenian for the winter will delight you with excellent taste and aroma. A jar of vegetable snacks prepared according to this recipe will take its rightful place on the table in winter.
Required Ingredients:
- eggplant - 3.5 kg;
- 1.2 kg - onions;
- garlic taking into account the taste - 2 heads;
- spices (hops-suneli, ground black pepper);
- salt to taste;
- 700 ml - vegetable oil for frying vegetables.
To comply with the eastern traditions of cooking this dish, you will need a cast iron or aluminum cauldron.
Recipe step by step:
- First, we wash the vegetables, cut off the stalks from the eggplant, peel the onion and garlic. As a rule, eggplants need to be cut lengthwise into large strips, but if you like it differently, it's not a problem. After that they need to be lightly salted and pressed with something heavy for 24 hours. Thus, being under pressure for a day, the eggplants will give up all excess moisture and bitterness.
- Fry the well-pressed blue ones in a cauldron in vegetable oil. In a separate frying pan, fry the chopped onion in half rings. As soon as the eggplants acquire a golden color, add the onion and chopped garlic to the cauldron. Next, salt and spices, mix and let the appetizer stew for another half hour.
- There is no need to sterilize the salad, we place the fragrant mass in the jars prepared for the blanks and seal with lids. Eggplants in the cellar in Armenian are served as a cold dish for meat and a hot side dish.
Armenian eggplant in the oven
Traditionally, the dish is called "Badrijany in Armenian", in the east it is a common favorite on the table! Thanks to a step-by-step recipe, even a novice hostess can cook it.
Required Ingredients:
- eggplant - 4-5 pcs;
- ground beef - 0.5 kg;
- large onion;
- 4 fresh tomatoes;
- butter and vegetable oil - 50 g each;
- spices and herbs (blue basil, cilantro, dill);
- salt to taste.
We start cooking by cleaning the eggplant using the method shown in the photo.
Cut the peeled eggplants on one side and lightly fry in hot fat on all sides. A golden crust will be a sign of readiness.
Set the eggplants aside, and meanwhile fry the onions, minced meat and tomatoes in a cauldron. In the process of frying, salt the mass and season with spices.
Traditionally, ground beef is used with lamb, although any type of meat (pork or chicken) can be used.
Place the resulting filling in the incision of each eggplant. We shape them so that they fit stably on the baking sheet. Place the dish in the oven and bake on medium power until cooked for about half an hour.
Turn off the oven, let it brew a little, sprinkle with herbs and serve. Armenian eggplants are ready in the oven. We wish you courageous experiments and bon appetit!