Ajapsandali (Georgian Vegetable Stew) recipe

Ingredients

• 3 eggplants, in large cubes
• 2 bell peppers
• 2 onions
• 2 potatoes
• 600 g tomatoes
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 hot pepper
• 1 bunch each cilantro and basil
• 1 tsp khmeli suneli
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil, salt

Method

1. Salt the eggplant for 20 minutes, squeeze, then fry until golden. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, fry the onions, then the peppers and potatoes for 10 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and eggplant, cover and stew on low heat for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
4. Crush the garlic with the chili and spices and stir it in.
5. Take off the heat, fold in the chopped herbs, cover and rest for 15 minutes.

Tamara's tip: cook each vegetable separately first. It takes longer, but every piece keeps its own taste.