Ajapsandali – Georgian vegetable sauté

Recipe:

Cut the eggplants crosswise into 8-10 mm thick slices. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Contrary to popular belief, this procedure is not necessary to get rid of bitterness - I have never come across bitter eggplants in my practice. Salt makes the eggplants release their juices and become less... airy or something. And they absorb less oil when you fry them 😉 😉 .

Shred the bell peppers and carrots.

Cut the skins of the tomatoes crosswise, put them in a pot and pour boiling water over them. Leave for half a minute, then drain and cover with cold water.

Remove the skins and chop or blend the tomatoes.

Pour 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a saucepan. Add the onions and carrots and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a pot.

In the same saucepan, saute the bell peppers until crispy-soft.

Transfer to the pot.

Squeeze the eggplant and rinse off the salt if necessary. Pat dry with paper towels.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the eggplant on both sides until almost done.

Transfer to the rest of the roasted vegetables. Add the tomatoes, grated garlic, chopped cilantro and basil. Add salt to taste.

Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, no longer. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Serve cold.

Enjoy!