Ajapsandal is a very healthy and vitamin-rich vegetable dish. It is most popular among the peoples of the Caucasus. But in our country, many housewives love to cook it. There are quite a few recipes for ajapsandal, two of which are Georgian and Armenian versions.
Georgian recipe
A special feature of Georgian ajapsandal is that only vegetables are used for its preparation. And the juicier and fleshy they are, the tastier the dish will turn out. This vegetable version of ajapsandal is considered a classic.
You will need:
- Onions - 3 pcs.;
- Fleshy tomatoes - 8-10 pcs.;
- Large eggplants - 4 pcs.;
- Red bell pepper - 3 pcs.;
- Green bell pepper - 4 pcs.;
- Garlic - 6 cloves;
- Fresh cilantro - 1 bunch;
- Sunflower oil - 100 ml;
- Ground coriander;
- Red hot pepper;
- Ground black pepper;
- Salt;
- Frying pan, cauldron (saucepan).
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leave for 5 minutes. After that, drain the water, remove the skin from the tomatoes, and then cut them into 6-8 pieces. Remove the stem from eggplants and bell peppers. Chop the eggplants into small slices no more than 1 cm thick, add salt so that the salt draws out excess bitterness from them, and set aside for now. And cut the bell pepper into strips. Remove the husks from the onions and garlic. Cut the onion into thin quarter-rings, and the garlic into round slices. Chop the cilantro. When the eggplants begin to give juice, rinse them under running water, and then squeeze them out with your hands so that the excess liquid along with bitterness is glass.
When all the ingredients are ready, use a heavy-bottomed skillet. Warm up and then pour in half the oil. When it's hot, place the eggplants and fry them a little until cooked, until they turn yellowish. Once this happens, transfer them to a colander or paper towels to drain off excess oil.
Now take the pan again and pour in the remaining oil. Heat it, and then fry the onion until golden brown. Then add the bell pepper to it, stir and fry at moderate temperature for about 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, and half of the minced cilantro, as well as the coriander, black and red peppers. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, then remove the pan from the stove.
After all the preparatory work is completed, take a cauldron or saucepan and put 1/3 of the eggplant there. Top with 1/3 of the tomato roast. Next, send the next piece of eggplant and fry. Finish assembling the ajapsandal with the last serving of eggplant and stir-fry. Garnish the top with chopped cilantro. Leave to soak for half an hour. After that, this wonderful Caucasian dish can be considered ready. It can be served either as a separate dish or as a side dish.
Armenian recipe
Unlike the people of Georgia, in Armenia they like to make ajapsandal more satisfying and are often cooked on the basis of meat.
To prepare ajapsandal in Armenian you will need:
- Meat on the bone with fat (lamb or beef) - 800 g;
- Large potatoes - 4 pcs.;
- Eggplant - 3-4 pcs.;
- Onions - 3 pcs.;
- Fleshy tomatoes - 5 pcs.;
- Red bell pepper - 3 pcs.;
- Green bell pepper - 4 pcs.;
- Rosemary - several branches;
- Basil - several branches;
- Hot chili pepper - 1 pc.;
- Fresh herbs (such as dill or cilantro)
- Ground black pepper;
- Salt;
- Any oil (vegetable or butter) for frying;
- A cauldron or saucepan with a thick bottom and sides.
Rinse the meat and cut into medium sized pieces. Peel potatoes and onions and cut into small cubes. Chop the eggplants, bell peppers and tomatoes in the same cubes. You will first need to remove the skin from the tomatoes.
Now take a cauldron (pan) and heat it up. Then add the butter and when it's hot, add the onion and fry until golden brown. Then add the meat and fry until a blush appears. When the meat is fried, pour in enough water so that it barely covers the contents of the cauldron, bring to a boil, then add chili and black pepper. Then lower the temperature to a low setting, cover and simmer for an hour.
When the time is up, add all the vegetables to the broth - eggplant, potatoes, bell peppers and tomatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. 10 minutes remaining, add chopped rosemary and basil and salt to taste.
Serve Armenian ajapsandal in deep bowls sprinkled with any fresh herbs. Thanks to the hearty ingredients, this dish can serve as a complete first or second course.
