The Balkans have a special place in my heart (I did meet my husband while travelling through the region) and one of the first things I look forward to eating whenever I’m in a Balkan country is ajvar. This smoky and delicious pepper and eggplant relish is so dreamy – and it’s good on everything.
Found throughout the Balkans, the best kind you can get outside of the area (in my opinion) hails from North Macedonia. That is – until I developed this homemade recipe!
Traditionally made with grilled peppers and eggplants, I’ve adapted this to be made in a home oven – and it’s still super delicious!
How to Make Macedonian Ajvar
This recipe is incredibly simple and is much less involved than other Balkan recipes I’ve developed (like my pizza burek, for instance!).
I encourage you to use in-season peppers and eggplants as they’re going to be the sweetest and best-flavoured. So plan to make a lot of ajvar in the late summer – just like the locals!
Preheat your broiler and add your peppers, eggplant and – if you want it slightly spicy – a red chili to a rimmed baking sheet. I like to prick the eggplant all over with a fork to ensure it doesn’t burst when cooking.
Add the veggies to the oven and broil until they’re softened and blackened – don’t be afraid to take them pretty far! You want to have a good, smoky flavour.
Once you’ve reached the desired stage, remove the veggies from the oven and allow them to cool for a little bit – just so you can handle them comfortably.
Give them all a rough chop and then add them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the food processor a few times, just until the veggies are broken down and smooth.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop up the veggies with a knife – much like I do in my roasted red pepper dip. Just note that you won’t get quite as smooth of a texture.
Now, it’s time to move over to the stovetop. Add some olive oil and a bit of chili flakes (that is, if you want ljuti ajvar – this literally translates to “angry,” but it just means spicy.) Once the oil is shimmering, add a couple of minced cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant.
Go ahead and scrape the pureed peppers and eggplant into the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Stirring frequently, simmer the ajvar for a few minutes, adding some salt to season it. Off heat, stir in a bit of vinegar.
Taste to adjust for seasoning and add in a bit of sugar if you think it needs it – this can prove necessary to balance the flavours if your peppers aren’t so sweet. It is optional, however.
Now, all you need to do is let the ajvar cool to room temperature. It will keep for some time in the fridge!
Macedonian Ajvar
Ingredients
- 4-5 red peppers cut into large strips, ribs & seeds removed
- 1 small eggplant pricked several times with a fork
- 1-2 cayenne chilies optional (see note 1)
- ½ tsp chili flakes optional (see note 1)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar optional (see note 2)
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler/grill to as high as your oven will go. Keep the rack in the middle. Line a baking tray with foil and grease lightly with oil. Arrange the peppers, chili and eggplant on the tray and move to the oven. Broil until charred and blackened – about 20 minutes.
- Allow the vegetables to cool for a few minutes before roughly chopping them and adding to the bowl of a food processor (see note 3). Pulse several times until the peppers and eggplant are very smooth and broken down.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil along with the chili flakes (if using) to a large saucepan. Set over medium heat and, once shimmering, add the garlic. Cook until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
- Scrape the pureed pepper mixture into the pan and stir to combine. Add the salt and bring up to a simmer. Allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes. Taste to adjust for seasoning and stir in the vinegar and sugar, if using. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Omit the chilis and the chili flakes if you do not want a spicy (ljuti) ajvar
- Taste the ajvar before adding the sugar. Some peppers are sweeter than others and it’s not always necessary to add additional sugar to get the desired finished flavour.
- If you do not have a food processor, wait until the vegetables are cool to the touch before very finely chopping them with a knife. The finished ajvar will not be as smooth, but it will still be delicious.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
And that’s all there is to making authentic Macedonian ajvar at home! Serve it alongside grilled meats or spread it on toast – it’s great no matter how you want to enjoy it.
Are you looking for an ajvar recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
