Spicy Vegetable Ajika for the Winter
Unlike tomato sauces that simmer for hours, this ajika is done almost immediately: every vegetable goes through the meat grinder and cooks for just 15 to 20 minutes. Vinegar does the preserving, so jars keep well even at room temperature, and the flavor lands bright, hot, and faintly sweet from the sugar and onion.
- Fifteen hot pepper pods for this batch means serious heat — for kids or milder palates, cut it in half.
- Add the garlic with the rest of the vegetables; over the short boil it gives up its aroma without losing its bite.
- Wear gloves when handling this much chile — the capsaicin oils sink into skin and linger.
Finished ajika is good straight on bread, stirred into borscht, or brushed on meat before frying. The quantities here yield several liters (roughly a couple of gallons), so line up your jars before you start.
Part of Caucasian cuisine — 10 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Run the tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, garlic, and onions through a meat grinder.
Add the sunflower oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt to the vegetable mass. Mix thoroughly.
Boil the ajika for 15–20 minutes over medium heat, stirring.
Pour the hot mass into sterilized jars and seal.
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