The traditional definition of food called ajapsandal sounds like "a vegetable dish, which includes eggplant and tomatoes, and also - sometimes - pepper, with spices and herbs." However, a dry definition does not give an idea of how tasty this dish is, what unusual aromas it emits when cooking, and how difficult it is for an inexperienced chef to create it. There are dozens of recipes recommending how you can create this dish, but most of them are so far from the original that in the Caucasus they believe that they do not have the right to be called classical ajapsandal. One way or another, but today everyone can try to cook this delicious vegetable dish - at home and to their own taste.
For example, you can use the Ajapsandal recipe, which recommends taking as ingredients pork (300 gr.), Onions (1 goal), eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and sweet bell pepper (3 pcs each). Some culinary experts offer additional potatoes (2-3 pcs.), But this is not necessary, which cannot be said about garlic (2 teeth), fresh herbs and spices. To begin with, rinse and cut into small cubes, put on the bottom of the pan with a thick bottom and fry in a large amount of butter. Next, onions (chopped in half rings), “straws” of carrots and finely chopped tomatoes will be added to the meat. Eggplants are able to convey their bitter juice by food, so a quality Ajapsandal recipe suggests boiling these vegetables in advance for several minutes, carefully salting them. After the juice is squeezed out from the eggplant, they can be cut into cubes and also sent to the pan, supplemented with slices of sweet pepper, squeezed out of garlic and finely chopped herbs. The last potato is added to the dish - after it, sliced in cubes, goes to the pan, the ajapsandal with meat recipe recommends stewing on medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes. About halfway through this process, seasonings and spices can be poured into the pan to taste.
And this food option is most similar to the classic version of ajapsandal - it will especially appeal to those who don’t like a large number of ingredients or a hearty combination of vegetables and meat in dishes, as in the first recipe. You need to take eggplant (2 pcs.), Onions (1 goal.), Carrots (1 pc.), Garlic (3 tooth.), Sweet pepper and seasonings. The main ingredient is eggplant, which, if improperly processed, can ruin the taste of the dish. They need to be prepared qualitatively: cut lengthwise into four strips, sprinkle with salt and put in a cool place for half an hour. At this time, you can deal with other components - cut onions in half rings, carrots in slices, squeeze the garlic, and then fry everything in a pan. Further, the Ajapsandal recipe involves combining the fried mass with slices of sweet pepper, bringing it to readiness and shifting it to a separate dish. Eggplants that have gotten rid of bitter juice can already be cut into cubes and fried separately, until they get an even golden color. After that, he goes to the rest of the vegetables - the finished meal will only have to mix and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.
Of course, these recipes are not classic in the strict sense of the word, so each culinary specialist can complement them to their own taste. Someone adds different types of meat, and for some, the Ajapsandal recipe is not complete if it does not contain, for example, green beans or Peking cabbage. In addition, this dish can be used in completely different ways - canning it for the winter, using it as a salad (when cooled) or a side dish can be an excellent option. Ajapsandal , for example, uses the pork roasting recipe for cooking a dish very well, as this creates an unusual ensemble, combining to taste and complementing each other.