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Ajvar with garlic, rich sauce with red peppers and eggplant
Fresh, garlicky ajvar sauce served

Smoky Roasted Red Pepper Spread (Ajvar)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Side Dishes
Ajvar is the 'red gold' of the Balkans, a thick, smoky pepper cream whose autumn preparation is a true social event. The secret is patience: peppers are charred until skins blacken so sugars caramelize and absorb smoke flavor, then slow-cooked ('sautéed') until moisture evaporates, leaving only concentrated flavor essence. This is not a sauce, but a vegetable jam.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 2 hrs
🍽️ Servings 6 servings
🔥 Calories 180 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Balkan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Oven or Grill: To char vegetables.
  • Bag or Covered Bowl: For steaming.
  • Heavy-Bottomed Pot: For slow cooking without burning.

Instructions

1 ✓

Preheat oven to 430°F (or fire up the grill). Roast peppers and pierced eggplant until skins are black and blistered (approx. 30-40 mins). Turn them occasionally!

Tip: Don't fear the black skin! This is needed for smoky flavor. The flesh steams inside and becomes sweet.
2 ✓

Immediately place hot vegetables in a bowl and seal airtight with foil (or put in a bag) for 15 minutes.

Tip: Their own steam loosens the skin, so it will slip off easily.
3 ✓

Peel vegetables. Remove seeds from peppers and stem from eggplant. Chop flesh finely or mince in a meat grinder.

Tip: Never wash roasted peppers with water, or you'll wash away valuable smoky oils!
4 ✓

Heat half the oil in a pot. Add minced vegetables and crushed garlic. Start cooking on low heat.

Tip: Garlic goes in raw but mellows during cooking.
5 ✓

Cook stirring constantly until liquid evaporates, thickens, and oil starts surfacing (approx. 40-50 mins). Gradually add remaining oil during this.

Tip: This 'confit-style' process preserves and deepens flavors.
6 ✓

Finally season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Boil together for another 5 minutes.

Tip: Vinegar acidity brightens roasted pepper sweetness and acts as preservative.

Recipe FAQ

Why remove pepper skins?
Skins are indigestible and cellulose-rich, ruining the cream's silkiness.
How long does it keep?
1 week in the fridge, but if filled in sterilized jars and canned, it lasts months in the pantry.

Ingredients

  • 2.25 lbs Red Bell Peppers or Pimiento Peppers
  • 1 lb Eggplant
  • 4 cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 1/2 cup Sunflower or Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper