Adjapsandali - a classic recipe with Georgian meat

Good health to everyone!

Today I decided to take an unusual topic and tell you about such a famous dish, which is known mainly in the Caucasus. This is a very tasty ajapsandal, or as many people call it ajapsandali, I don’t know what the difference is, some add an -i- at ​​the end, and some don’t. Probably those who are used to saying so.

If you look at Wikipedia, the interpretation is as follows:

Our Russians also value it, especially those who love eggplants. Because the main component of this national dish are the little blue ones. In Russian, this is a vegetable stew with a lot of different seasonings, herbs and, of course, fresh vegetables and sometimes even meat. But, imagine how amazing it sounds if you whip up such a masterpiece for lunch today and exclaim. Those close to you will get killed if they hear this.

By the way, if we translate this original word literally, it will become clear that ajapsandali means something delightful and charming.

But what struck me most was that this dish can be eaten either hot or cold. It really resembles our sautéed vegetables, only it tastes spicier. Gourmets of savory culinary masterpieces will be delighted. And I hope that it will become loved and adored for you too if you cook it at least once in your life.

It is served either on a festive or an ordinary table as a side dish for meat or as a separate dish. There are a great many recipes, but they all differ slightly from each other.

Don’t forget that the good thing about summer is that you can do something new every day. For example, make ratatouille or maybe stick to classic recipes for vegetable stew. And once you’ve eaten your fill, close the jars for the winter.

Classic recipe for ajapsandali with meat

I think for us Russians this cooking option will become one of our favorites, due to the fact that it uses meat. Men will definitely appreciate it with a bang. And in general, it’s even better for us housewives; we get a vegetable side dish and meat in one dish. Really some kind of miracle - two in one.

Who wouldn't like this, cheap and cheerful? So let's get started.

We will need:

• onion - 1 pc.
• beef – 0.5 – 0.6 kg
• carrots - a couple of pieces
• eggplants - 2-3 pcs.
• sweet bell pepper - 2 pcs.
• fresh potatoes - 4 pcs.
• tomatoes - 2-3 pcs.
• parsley - bunch
• cilantro - 11 g

Stages:

1. In order to remove the bitterness from eggplants, if it bothers you, then you can go the following way: first rinse them in running water. Then take a sharp knife and chop into pieces. Do it carefully and beautifully. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cover with a cutting board, place a jar of water on it to form a press.

This will release the juice, which will kill all the bitterness. Drain it.

2. Peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler and grate them on a coarse grater to form sticks. Chop the onion into half rings and then chop into small pieces. It's like roasting vegetables for soup.

3. Remove the stem from the bell pepper and remove the seeds. Cut the peppercorn in half, and then crosswise with a knife into thin strips.

4. Peel the tomatoes, I think you know very well how to do this. Well, if not, then I remind you, pour boiling water over them for 10 minutes, then take them out with a spoon and the skin will easily pull together. You can also pre-make notches on the top of the fruit in the form of a cross. Cut the fruit into cubes.

5. Wash the meat, cut off all the veins. And then cut the beef into slices.

Cool idea! Instead of beef, you can use pork or lamb, it's a matter of taste. Personally, I like to add chicken drumsticks and legs here.

6. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and fry carrots and onions on a hot surface until golden brown. And then present the meat, stir and fry for 20-30 minutes over low heat with the lid closed.

7. In the meantime, you can continue to occupy yourself with work; all that remains is to chop the washed greens with a knife. Peel the potatoes and cut into cubes.

After the meat is almost ready, start adding the potatoes, without further stirring the eggplants, after the tomatoes, bell peppers and the final layer of greenberries. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and crush a couple of cloves of garlic and sprinkle. Close the lid and simmer for exactly 40 minutes on a fairly low stove setting.

8. Well, set the table. Your serving cup has been waiting for such a royal or imperial treat. Bon appetit! Serve only in a good and positive mood and do not forget to add a large spoon).

There is also an option without meat, which is also quite popular. And then I thought, what if you are a vegetarian, and here you are... In general, I suggest you watch the cooking process in this video. You will learn a lot from it, and most importantly, cut the vegetables into large pieces, then the dish will turn out more juicy and aromatic.

Tadam, here is the hit of the season:

cooking method

To begin, cut the eggplants into cubes, add salt and leave for 15-20 minutes. Dip the tomatoes into boiling water, keep there for about a minute, then remove the skin from them and finely chop the tomatoes themselves. Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes. Coarsely chop the peppers and onions, fry them for 2-3 minutes in a saucepan in vegetable oil. Add tomatoes and simmer for a little over 10 minutes.

Squeeze the eggplants either by hand or using a special press to remove excess bitterness. Fry them in vegetable oil in a frying pan. Then set the fried eggplants aside and fry the potatoes until almost done. Finely chop the garlic and herbs. Add potatoes to fried onions, peppers and tomatoes. Then add eggplants and herbs, salt and pepper. Add a little water as needed and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

That's it, ajapsandal from Stalik Khankishiev is ready!

Friends, I want to share with you the Georgian dish ajapsandali. Prepared mainly from vegetables and spices alone, it is considered vegetarian. But since most people cannot live without meat, I decided to add a little beef to the main classic recipe. In the end, I’ll tell you, it turned out even tastier.

Each housewife prepares ajapsandali differently, adding different products. That is, many people prefer to make the dish without potatoes or meat. But the most important thing in cooking is always observed: each ingredient is fried separately. Moreover, this must be done so as not to overdo it and the vegetables do not burn. And when they all come together, then there is such an aroma that you can already be full from just the smell.

By the way, if anyone remembers, just recently I told you how to cook ojakhuri from pork. It turned out incredibly delicious. And if anyone has not tried this dish yet, be sure to do so. I’m sure you won’t stop after just one try; you’ll immediately want to repeat it. In general, Georgian cuisine is such that it attracts everyone who has cooked it. And I constantly want to master more and more new things in it.

The main thing to remember when adding spices and aromatic herbs to a dish is not to overdo it. If there is more of any seasoning, it will overwhelm the taste of the main ingredients. It is best to add greens in equal quantities to feel that note of how they really cook in Georgia.

Many people prepare vegetables by chopping them together and placing them one by one in a saucepan or cauldron. But I’ll tell you this, friends, I tried making the dish in different ways and still frying it separately turns out better. But if you mix everything together at once, it turns out to be a completely different dish. But I will try to talk about it in one of the next articles. Now, let's get back to the main point.

Adjapsandali in Georgian - the most delicious recipe

To be honest, I rarely visit public places, but I was lucky, I have a friend who worked in a restaurant not long ago. One day I visited him, it was a long time ago. But, in principle, this does not matter now. The fact is that I then went to his Georgian holiday and ate excellent and very tasty food there, of course you guessed it - ajapsandali.

So it was so fun that without noticing it, he himself revealed to me the whole cooking technology. And I realized and wrote it down in my notebook. Since then, this is the only way I do it in most cases. Yes, I am a chef, or I want to become one, I’m studying))).

Notice what seasonings and spices are used here, and most importantly herbs, this is what makes this Caucasian dish aromatic and with a special aftertaste.

We will need:

• eggplants - about 1 kg
• sweet pepper - 0.8-0.9 kg
• potatoes - 1 kg
• tomatoes - 0.4 kg
• onion - 1 head
• dill - bunch
• cilantro - bunch
• parsley - bunch
• tomato paste - 2 tbsp
• garlic - 2 cloves
• hot chili pods - 15 g
• salt - 2 tbsp
• vegetable oil - 200 g

Stages:

1. Peel the onion. Then use a knife with a thin blade to chop it into cubes; you want them to be small in size.

Advice! Remember, in order not to cry, pre-cool the onion in the refrigerator for 1.5 hours, then tears will bypass you.

2. Next, move on to cutting vegetables, take the blue ones first on the list. Chop them into pieces. First, cut the fruit in half, and then lengthwise to make a large block, then into cubes.

3. Red, or you can take green and yellow bell peppers, clean them of everything unnecessary. First cut off the cap, remove the achenes, and only then cut into thin pieces, like 4.5x4.5 cm squares.

4. The potatoes will have to be peeled and boiled immediately; if you leave them to sit for a long time they will turn black, this is of no use. Therefore, they immediately peeled it, cut it into pieces and dipped it in salted water and boiled it until tender.

5. Finely chop the parsley, cilantro and dill, chop the tomatoes together with the peel into small pieces.

6. Well, now start roasting. Throw in the onion first, fry it until transparent, then add chopped chili pepper for a spicy kick and finely grated garlic.

7. Next, add the tomato paste and stir, followed by the tomatoes. Fry for a couple of minutes.

8. Next, in a separate container, fry the bell pepper in vegetable oil, this is how it will simmer well.

9. Remove excess moisture, that is, oil, shake the pepper through a colander or sieve. The vegetable has become very tender and soft, giving you excellent taste and aroma.

10. In another saucepan, fry eggplant slices in vegetable oil. And after they are browned, add the vegetable fried onions. Then add potatoes and chopped herbs.

11. Add salt at your discretion and simmer for another 5 minutes under the lid. Place in a deep container using a ladle and sprinkle with herbs on top. Taste it to your health, it turned out beautiful and tasty! Bon appetit!

With lamb

The recipe for ajapsandal with lamb and potatoes, baked in the oven, is very satisfying.

What ingredients will you need?

For the lamb version you need the following:

• 1 kg lamb pulp;
• 700 g eggplants;
• 500 g tomatoes;
• 700 g sweet pepper;
• 700 g potatoes;
• 250 g onions;
• 10 g dried basil;
• 5 g dried rosemary;
• 3 bay leaves;
• 50 g melted unsalted butter;
• table salt and coarsely ground pepper;
• some water.

Step-by-step cooking process

The cooking process for this dish looks like this:

1. The lamb needs to be washed, blotted with a kitchen towel, cut into medium cubes (about 2 cm in size);
2. Eggplants should be washed and peeled, cut into cubes slightly smaller than meat, placed in salted water (1 liter of water plus 10 g of salt), set aside for 30 minutes, then rinsed and left to dry.
3. Tomatoes need to be poured with boiling water, peeled and cut into slices.
4. The potatoes must be peeled and cut into the same cubes as eggplants.
5. From sweet peppers you need to cut the stem, remove the seeds, and cut them into semicircular slices.
6. The onion needs to be peeled and cut into small half rings.

7. Next, melt the butter in a deep heat-resistant form (on the stove), fry the onion in it until golden brown, then add the meat and fry until golden brown on all sides.
8. Then you need to pour water over the lamb (the meat should be completely covered), boil it, then add salt, add spices, bay leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. After this, place the eggplant pieces into the mold, after 5 minutes. add potatoes, after another 5 minutes. - Layer slices of pepper and tomato slices.
10. The filled container must be covered with a lid or foil, transferred to the oven, preheated to 180ºC, and baked for 40 minutes.

When serving ajapsandal, it is recommended to add chopped herbs to each serving.

Adjapsandal in Armenian style from vegetables for the winter - recipe for 3 kg eggplant

Let's move on to the next grandiose option, which is famous for its ease. We will make preparations in jars, in Russian we will preserve vegetables, so that we can eat them on any frosty or spring day. A piece of summer will always be in your cellar.

Agree, this is a great idea that you might also like.

We will need:

• Eggplants – 3 kg
• Tomatoes – 3 kg
• Bell pepper – 1.5 kg
• Capsicum – 3 pieces
• Onion – 1 kg
• Cilantro – 200 g
• Garlic – 2 heads
• Salt – 2-3 tbsp. l
• Olive oil – 300 ml

Stages:

1. Cut off the skin on the sides of the blue ones. Cut in half and then into slices. Then sprinkle each piece with salt and leave for half an hour.

2. Cut the bell pepper into wide rings, and the onion too. But cut the hot capsicum into thin rings.

Pound the garlic in a mortar with a whisk and coarse salt. Then finely chop the cilantro and chop the tomatoes into half rings.

After the time has passed, rinse the eggplants under running water, then squeeze them in a stack of six by seven and blot them in paper towels.

3. Fry the blue stripes in hot sunflower oil and place on paper towels to remove all excess fat. First fry the bell pepper in the same oil, remove it from the pan, then remove the onion. Fry all ingredients separately. Then lightly fry the capsicum.

Then mix all these ingredients in one container, but tear the eggplant slices into threads. As soon as you combine everything in one saucepan, add garlic and salt, cilantro. Fill with tomatoes. And simmer for 15-20 minutes on the lowest heat after boiling.

4. And now the moment of truth has come, transfer the products into a sterile jar. Screw the clean twist lid on tightly and let cool completely upside down.

5. There is no need to wrap the ajansapdali; note that vinegar and potatoes are not used for marinating.

Since eggplants are a fresh vegetable, so to speak, in order to avoid the process of botulism in a jar, you need to put more tomatoes than in a regular recipe for consumption. That is, those cooking options that were outlined above in the article.

And as you know, botulism will not form in an acidic environment. This is a summer dish you can make and eat in the winter. Happy discoveries!

With potato

Adjapsandal (the recipe in the oven is easy and requires little time to prepare), cooked with potatoes and other vegetables, turns out very juicy and rich. Baking allows you to release the flavors of the components of a dish even better than a saucepan or pan.

What ingredients will you need?

For ajapsandal with potatoes you will need:

• 4 eggplants;
• 2 sweet peppers;
• 4 tomatoes;
• 2 white onions;
• 1 kg of potatoes;
• half a head of garlic;
• 100 g butter margarine;
• some water;
• table salt and coarsely ground pepper.

Step-by-step cooking process

Instructions for preparing the dish are as follows:

1. You need to cut the eggplants into cubes of equal thickness, add salted water and set aside for 30 minutes, then drain and dry.
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2. Potatoes and tomatoes should be cut into slices, peppers should be cut into strips, and the onion should be chopped into small half rings.
3. In a deep heat-resistant form, you need to melt the margarine on the stove, fry the onion in it until transparent, add the potatoes and fry for about 5 minutes, then add the eggplants and peppers, pepper and salt, cook for about the same amount of time.
4. Then you need to put chopped garlic and tomato slices into the mold, add a little water, cover the container with a lid or foil and put in the oven, preheated to 180ºC, bake for 30 minutes.
5. When the vegetables are ready, you need to remove the pan from the oven, add chopped fresh herbs to it and cover with a lid or foil for a few minutes. This will give the ajapsandal a fresh aroma.

How to cook ajapsandal in a slow cooker

There is nothing easier than taking miracle technology and whipping up something interesting in it, such as a vegetable stew. After all, in a slow cooker, all products simply simmer amazingly and become truly tasty.

We will need:

• Eggplants - 1 pc.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Potatoes - 1 pc.
• Bell pepper - 1 pc.
• Onion - 1 head
• Garlic - a couple of cloves
• Greenery
• Salt and pepper

Stages:

1. Chop the eggplants coarsely and add a little salt. Mix vigorously with your hands, turn on the multicooker to Fry mode. Meanwhile, chop the potatoes into pieces and the onion into cubes. Place the potatoes in a preheated bowl along with the onions and fry until tender.

Cut the pepper into half rings, scald the tomatoes with boiling water, remove the peel. Chop the pulp into pieces with a knife.

Squeeze out all the liquid from the blue ones, all the bitterness will go away. And send it immediately to the potatoes and onions. Fry for 5 minutes with the lid open.

2. Next add the bell pepper and continue frying for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes. Close the lid and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. At the end, add chopped garlic and herbs. Then add salt and pepper, if you want it spicier, add red chili powder. Stir. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Serve in a serving bowl, smelling of herbs, garlic and eggplant.

By the way! Nothing turned into mush, hurray, everything turned out flawlessly! Have a nice experience!

With minced lamb and cheese

Armenian ajapsandal is always very filling. It almost always contains meat, and its texture resembles a simultaneous first and second course. In addition, new versions and recipes appear regularly - for example, with the addition of cheese.

What ingredients will you need?

For this dish you need:

• 600 g eggplants;
• 800 g tomatoes;
• 700 g minced lamb;
• 600 g sweet pepper;
• 300 g potatoes;
• 3 white onions;
• chopped fresh basil;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tbsp. milk;
• 50 g unsalted butter;
• 3 tbsp. l. flour;
• 2 eggs;
• 300 g Dutch cheese;
• a whisper of nutmeg;
• salt.

Step-by-step cooking process

To prepare this unusual version of the dish, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Tomatoes, garlic and onions must be mixed and chopped in a blender.
2. The eggplant should be cut into cubes, soaked in salted water, then drained and dried.
3. Potatoes should be cut in much the same way as eggplants.

4. Then you need to transfer these vegetables into a form covered with foil (but do not mix with each other), put them in the oven, heated to 180ºC, and bake until almost done (about 80%).
5. The minced meat must be mixed with tomato mass and nutmeg.
6. You need to put the butter in a large frying pan, melt it, then add the flour and stir so that there are no lumps, then gradually pour in the milk, whisking the mixture with a whisk, and turn off the stove.
7. When the sauce has cooled a little, add eggs and half the grated cheese and stir.
8. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a deep pan lined with foil and spread.
9. Then you need to lay out layers of potato cubes, pieces of bell pepper and a little more sauce.
10. Next, you need to lay out a layer of meat, and then eggplant with basil and pour in the sauce, place tomatoes on top and sprinkle with cheese, put in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes.

Adjapsandali - a classic recipe on a campfire (grill)

There is nothing better if, on a hike or at a picnic, in addition to barbecue and various snacks, you start creating and charming everyone with an unusual dish. Try roasting vegetables outdoors. Thus, they will actually turn out better and juicier than if you do it in a frying pan or in the oven at home. And fresh air will only help you with this.

Wow, what aromas will flow through the fields and meadows, the forest dwellers will be delighted).

We will need:

• bell pepper - 4 pcs.
• eggplants - 3 pcs.
• hot pepper, pod - 1 pc.
• lemon - 1 pc.
• garlic - 2 heads
• salt - 0.5 tbsp
• vegetable or olive oil - 40 g
• dill, parsley, cilantro
• tomatoes - 4 pcs.

Stages:

1. Place vegetables (bell peppers, blue tomatoes, garlic heads, chili peppers) on the grill grate in any chaotic order. But tomatoes can be hung on a stick like a kebab. The coals in the fire should already be well heated.

2. As soon as you see that the vegetables are almost ready, remove them from the heat.

3. And transfer to a saucepan. You can’t imagine how funny they are baked. Cover them with a lid and wait a little, about 20-30 minutes, for the vegetables to cool down. They will steam further from each other in the saucepan.

4. Next, peel all the baked vegetables with a knife and cut into pieces. Squeeze the garlic through a press. Place all ingredients in a plate and add lemon juice to taste. Approximately 1 tsp, add salt and add finely chopped parsley, cilantro and dill.

5. Well, now all that remains is to season with olive or vegetable oil.

6. Stir and you will get a very beautiful and spicy dish for any meat. Have a nice time, friends!

Ingredients and how to cook

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ingredients for 8 servings or - the number of products for the servings you need will be calculated automatically!'>

Total:

Cooking time: 1 hour

Adjab sandalwood in Armenian style at home

And finally, another option, slightly simplified, since it is prepared without tomatoes, tomato paste is used instead. But this doesn’t spoil it in any way, it also turns out very cool and aromatic. In general, you should definitely use this cooking technology.

We will need:

• Eggplants - 0.7 kg
• Onion - 0.3 kg
• Tomato paste - 0.4-0.5 l
• Garlic - 8 cloves
• Carrots - 2 pcs.
• Sweet bell pepper - 1 pc.
• Ground hot pepper - 1 pc.
• Any seasonings
• Sunflower or olive oil—90 ml
• Cilantro, parsley, dill and basil

Stages:

1. Start cooking with eggplants, cut them into half rings, add salt and let stand to release the juice, then drain it. Heat a frying pan with vegetable oil and fry the blue ones. Do this carefully in sections rather than in a bunch. Place them in a bowl and cover with a lid to keep them warm.

2. In the same oil, fry the chopped onions and carrots. As soon as the onions become translucent and the carrots are soft, add the fried eggplants.

3. Mix everything, add peeled garlic and chopped bell pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

4. Then add spices and tomato paste. Stir. Continue frying over low heat for another 15 minutes.

5. Then add fragrant greenflies. Take everything you have, for example cilantro, basil, etc. on the list, or what you prefer. Don’t forget about hot pepper, it will add spice and give a cool, vigorous flavor.

6. And after about 35 minutes, this fairy tale, or rather a magical dish with such a great name, may appear on your plate. Which you will now often pronounce. Eat for your health!

What is "ajapsandal"

This dish has many names (pictured) - ajapsandali, ajabsandal or simply sandalwood. A vegetarian dish that is easy to prepare, made from stewed vegetables, spices and herbs. This is a very tasty dish, with a simple recipe, which combines the main flavors of Georgian cuisine. It combines the charm of juicy summer vegetables and the pleasant, almost real mushroom flavor of eggplant.

You can even call it traditional ajapsandal - this is a Georgian vegetable sauté, stew, stewed vegetables. Only all the vegetables are cut into larger pieces, baked with spices and herbs.

There is a legend that the real ajapsandali - a Georgian dish - was invented by shepherds high in the mountains - they first scorched paprika and eggplants over a fire. And then these vegetables were mashed into a puree, mixed with herbs and hot spices. This paste or ajap puree was stored for quite a long time and the shepherds could dine on the go, while moving with their herds.

Perhaps this is true, or maybe just a beautiful legend. But in the end, almost all Caucasian peoples have been using this recipe for many years, hundreds of years. Each family has its own recipe, passed on from the elders to the younger. Recipes also vary from region to region. But one thing remains fundamental - every recipe must include baked eggplants and paprika (bell pepper).

A simple recipe for ajapsandal from baked vegetables in the oven

It seemed to me that this option was definitely not Caucasian, it was already invented by us Russians, but oh well. What is there to hide here, because the main thing is that it is delicious and quite easy to repeat. So, if you need a quick dinner in a hurry, then hurry up and watch this movie, click on the button.

This is where I end this post, I hope you liked it and you learned how to cook ajapsandal today according to classic recipes, but also saw new and remarkable options. Be healthy and read the cuisine of other nations.

It was a pleasure to impress you, and as always I say see you soon. Join the group in contact and write your reviews and comments. Bye.

Sincerely, Ekaterina Mantsurova

Video: Vegetable ajapsandali

One of the most popular and delicious dishes of Georgian cuisine!

Adjapsandal is considered a traditional vegetable dish, but it can also be prepared with meat.

A difficult recipe for ajapsandal from Stalik Khankishiev’s home cooking step by step with photos. Easy to prepare at home in 1 hour. Contains only 79 kilocalories. Author's recipe for home cooking.

• Preparation time: 17 minutes
• Cooking time: 1 hour
• Calorie count: 79 kilocalories
• Servings: 8 servings

• Difficulty: Difficult recipe
• National cuisine: Home cooking
• Type of dish: Quiche