Georgian ratatouille
Georgian food is a wonderful - yet sadly underappreciated - cuisine that combines commonly used ingredients in surprising and delicious ways. The abundance of fresh herbs is what really endeared it to us.
Ingredients
- 3 cups eggplant
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 2 medium onions
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 tbsp coriander seed, ground
- Black pepper, ground to taste
- 1 tsp Reshampatti pepper
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 large sweet pepper
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups total of basil, chive, cilantro or tarragon (chopped)
Method
-
1
Chop eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl. Sprinkle the salt and massage it into eggplant for about 2 minutes. Let excess water drain for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.
-
2
Peel tomatoes if desired. Cut tomatoes, onions and sweet potato into 1-inch cubes.
-
3
Squeeze eggplant cubes with your hands to remove the bitter juice. Rinse in running water, drain well and squeeze out juice one more time.
-
4
Place eggplant, tomatoes, onions, sweet potato and spices in a pot and pour the oil over them; add bay leaves and stir. Put pot on medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until vegetables are softened, about 45 minutes. Cover if liquid is evaporating too quickly.
-
5
Cut peppers into 1-inch squares. Add peppers and garlic to the pot and cook for 10 more minutes. Salt, if needed.
-
6
Turn off heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Incorporate chopped herbs when serving.
