How to make ajapsandali – Georgia's answer to ratatouille

In Georgia there’s a dish that, quite simply, is a perfect answer to summer’s most delicious dilemma: the glut of sun-ripened vegetables. If you’re a home gardener, the following may sound all too familiar. One second you’re checking your plots each day, impatiently waiting to reap the benefits of warm sunshine and diligent watering, the next you can’t pick fast enough, begging friends and family to help relieve the deluge harvested from your overachieving plants.

Or you’re like me, and can barely keep your windowsill basil alive but are a total farmers’ market junkie. Sometimes it takes only one perfectly curated stand – by a farmer who clearly knows their audience. Colour-coordinated rows of heirloom tomatoes, crates of carefully stacked, glistening peppers and aubergines, aromatic bushels of herbs with dirt still clinging to the roots. By the time I arrive at the register, any self-imposed budget has been thrown out the window and into the compost. I walk away with a tote bag filled to the brim and the overwhelming question: “What am I going to do with all of this?”

That’s when I make ajapsandali (ad-JAP-sahn-DOLL-ee), which to the Caucasus people is what ratatouille is to the French.

Not surprisingly the dish hails from a country, east of the Black Sea, whose fecund land provides an overabundance of produce the like of which many of us will never see. Visit in the summer, dine al fresco, and you’ll immediately be hit with the aroma of succulent grilled meat skewers and slowly fried chicken basted in butter and garlic. Amber and pomegranate-hued wines will send waves of warmth and delight, but what will truly captivate are the vegetables – in their sheer presence, variety of preparations, and of course mesmerising flavours.

I could pen a love letter to each of Georgia’s vegetarian dishes, but none of them inspires a fervour – and stomach growl – like adjapsandali. Time – ie patience – and generous glugs of oil help melt down aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, carrots and onions until they’re transformed into an unctuous vegetable confit. The addition of hot pepper turns it fiery while coriander, parsley, basil and garlic elevate it into something particularly toothsome.

Some recipes call for throwing potatoes into the mix, others will have you add chunks of beef or lamb to make a hearty stew. I find the version below – paired with cucumbers to crunch on, juicy tomato wedges to slurp, briny squares of feta, and of course, torn chunks of hearty bread – is perfect as is. See for yourself and give it a try. Next thing you know, maybe you too will find yourself plotting next year’s garden or rushing to the farmers’ market to find yourself once more with a very delicious problem.

Ingredients

3 large aubergines, stemmed, quartered lengthwise and cut into half-inch slices (about 4lb total) 
Kosher salt
Sunflower or grapeseed oil
2 large onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
3 large carrots, cut into half moons (about 1½lb total)
3 bell peppers (preferably of various colours), seeded and coarsely chopped 
1 large jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, squeezed of extra juices, coarsely chopped (about 2lb; see note at bottom of page)
4 cloves garlic; 1 pressed/minced, the other 3 thinly sliced
1½ cups coriander, finely chopped (leaves and tender stems)
¾ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Leaves from 4 or 5 basil sprigs (preferably purple), stacked, rolled and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade)

Steps

Place the aubergines in a colander (or two) set in the sink, then toss with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then gently squeeze out excess moisture.

While the aubergines are draining, prep the rest of the vegetables. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over a medium-high heat. Cooking in batches, add the aubergine slices and cook for about 10 minutes, turning them until both sides are golden brown. Add more oil as needed.

Meanwhile, heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and carrots and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until onions are translucent and slightly golden. Stir in the peppers and cook for 5 minutes, then add tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium; cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Once the last of the aubergine has finished cooking, add all the cooked aubergine back to the pot. Reduce the heat to low. Carefully stir in the onion-tomato mixture. From this point on, be very gentle when stirring the vegetables; over-mixing will result in a mush. Cook for 5 minutes then taste and add more salt as needed. If you find the tomatoes too acidic, add a bit of sugar. Continue to cook (uncovered) for 45 to 60 minutes, gently stirring maybe once or twice to make sure the vegetables aren’t burning at the bottom.

Once the ratatouille has cooked down significantly and is almost jam like, stir in the pressed and sliced garlic and the fresh herbs. Cook for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Taste once again and add salt and/or sugar as needed.

Serve warm, or let cool completely before storing.

Note: To peel the tomatoes, fill a bowl with ice-cold water. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato and remove the stem. Place in a pot of boiling water for 10 to 15 seconds – no longer. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer to the ice-water bath. The skins should simply slip off.

© The Washington Post​