Ajvar Dip (Roasted Crimson Pepper Sauce)

Ajvar Dip is a beloved favourite in Balkan delicacies, recognized for its wealthy historical past and easy preparation. This tasty unfold comes from the Balkan Peninsula and makes use of just some key substances and a simple approach.

Made primarily with roasted purple peppers and eggplant, it has a smoky, flavorful style that's tremendous versatile and straightforward to whip up. With its minimal substances and no-fuss course of, conventional Ajvar Dip actually lets the pure flavors shine, making it a success for each on a regular basis meals and particular gatherings.

What Makes This Ajvar Dip the Greatest

To start with, this recipe has been trialed and examined for years! I've made it steadily for barbecues, and it's all the time a success with pals.

Charring the peppers and eggplant underneath the broiler is essential as a result of it provides the dip that deep, smoky taste that’s important for genuine Ajvar. Plus, eradicating the skins from each the peppers and eggplant ensures a easy, creamy texture and eliminates any bitterness or toughness. These steps may appear small, however they make an enormous distinction in reaching the proper Ajvar Dip.

Recipe Ideas and Swaps

This dip is of course low in carbs, keto, dairy-free, nut-free, vegetarian, and vegan. Plus, it's made with heart-healthy additional virgin olive oil and is Complete 30 and Mediterranean-keto accepted!

Listed below are simple swaps and suggestions on your Ajvar Dip:

• Vinegar Swap: As a substitute of white wine vinegar, you should use apple cider vinegar (identical quantity), or contemporary lemon juice (double the quantity) for a barely totally different however equally scrumptious tang.
• Roasting Method: For one of the best taste, be certain to char the peppers and eggplant till they’ve a pleasant, blistered pores and skin. This provides a deep, smoky style that’s attribute of conventional Ajvar.
• Peeling the Greens: Cowl the roasted greens with a humid material or place them in a sealed container to steam for a couple of minutes. This makes peeling the skins a lot simpler.
• Mixing: Course of the substances till easy and creamy for one of the best texture. In the event you choose a chunkier dip, pulse the blender a couple of instances as an alternative of mixing constantly.
• Storage: Ajvar could be saved within the fridge for as much as every week or frozen in ice dice trays for longer storage. When prepared, let it defrost within the fridge in a single day. This fashion, you possibly can get pleasure from it everytime you like!

How Do You Eat Ajvar Dip?

Ajvar is extremely versatile and could be loved in quite a lot of methods:

• As a Dip: Good for dipping greens, with a slice of toasted fast keto bread, or crackers.
• As a Sauce: Use it as a flavorful sauce for grilled meats, fish, or greens.
• As a Unfold: Unfold it on a slice of keto bread, use in sandwiches, burgers, or lettuce wraps for a tasty twist.
• In Pasta and Pasta Alternate options: Combine it into zucchini noodles or different low-carb pasta alternate options.
• With Salads: Drizzle over salads for an additional burst of taste.
• As a Marinade: Marinate hen, pork, or greens earlier than grilling or roasting. It should go nicely with these Greek Hen Skewers!
• Simply Like Ketchup: Get pleasure from it with keto french fries or as a condiment with different dishes.
• In Tortilla Wraps: Use it as a filling for low-carb tortilla wraps for a fast and scrumptious meal.

Preparation time

Palms-on:    quarter-hour
Total:     45 minutes

Dietary values (per serving, 1/4 cup, 60 ml)

Macronutrient ratio: Energy from carbs (13%), protein (3%), fats (84%)

Components (makes about 3 cups/ 700 ml)

• 6 medium purple bell peppers (720 g/ 1.6 lb)
• 1 medium eggplant (250 g/ 8.5 oz)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ¹/₂ cup additional virgin olive oil, divided (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (15 ml) or 2 tbsp contemporary lemon juice
• Optionally available: purple chile pepper flakes, or contemporary chile pepper for warmth
• 1 tsp sea salt, or to style
• ¹/₂ tsp black pepper, or to style

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C/ 430 °F (fan assisted), or 240 °C/ 465 °F (typical). Place entire bell peppers and eggplant in a tray. Bake for quarter-hour.
   
2. Cut back the oven temperature to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (typical). Proceed baking for an additional 20 minutes, or till the peppers have charred blisters and the eggplant is tender.
3. Take away the tray from the oven and set the greens apart to chill. Cowl them with a humid material or one other tray to make peeling simpler.
   
4. Whereas the greens are cooling, peel and finely chop the garlic. Warmth a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium warmth. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, till aromatic.
5. As soon as cooled, peel the skins off the peppers and take away the seeds and stems. Switch the peeled peppers to a blender. For the eggplant, make a big slit and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Add the eggplant flesh to the blender. Discard the peels, stems and any extra juices.
   
6. To the blender, add the sautéed garlic, vinegar (or lemon juice), the remaining olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
   
7. Course of till easy and creamy. Pour the blended dip right into a storage container. As soon as it has cooled to room temperature, seal the container and refrigerate for as much as every week. For longer storage, pour the dip into ice dice trays and freeze. As soon as frozen, pop the cubes out and retailer them in a freezer bag.
   
8. Function a dip with a slice of toasted fast keto bread, or crackers, with meat skewers, or in lettuce wraps.