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Eggplant and Bean Salad for Winter "Special"
Instructions
I soak the beans overnight in cold water – this way they swell well and cook faster. In the morning I rinse them, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and drain the first water (it contains the substances that cause gas). I cover them with fresh water again and cook until “al dente”, 40–50 minutes – the beans should be soft but hold their shape. I drain them in a colander.
I cut the eggplants into sticks 3–4 cm long. If they happen to be ripe and bitter, I soak them in salted water for 30 minutes (1 tbsp salt per litre) and rinse them well. Young eggplants with light seeds do not need soaking.
I cut the onion into half-rings 5–7 mm thick and grate the carrot on a coarse grater. The vegetables are cut large so that they do not fall apart during the long stewing and keep a nice texture in the finished jar.
I remove the seeds and stalk from the bell pepper and cut it into strips 1–1.5 cm wide. I use peppers of different colours (red, yellow, orange) so the preserve turns out as bright as possible.
I grate the garlic on a fine grater (this way it gives more juice than when chopped) and finely chop the hot pepper. Work with the hot pepper wearing gloves – the capsaicin gets into your skin.
I peel the tomatoes (blanch them – scald with boiling water and remove the skin) and put them through a meat grinder into a tomato puree. Into the pot I add the tomato puree, garlic, hot pepper, salt, sugar and oil. I bring it to a boil and cook for 3 minutes – the sauce base is ready.
I add the eggplants, onion, pepper and carrot to the tomato mixture. I stew for 25 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula – a metal one can “wound” the vegetables and damage the enamel of the pot.
I add the boiled beans and stew for another 5 minutes – the beans are already cooked, they just need to soak up the flavours. I pour in the vinegar and immediately take the pot off the heat – long boiling would evaporate the vinegar and the preserve would not keep well.
I spoon the hot salad straight into sterilised one-litre jars, right up to the rim. I seal them with metal lids, turn them upside down and wrap them in a blanket for a day – this creates extra vacuum for keeping.
Eggplant and bean salad is delicious both hot (as a full meal) and cold (as a snack). I open a jar in winter and enjoy the taste of summer!
Tips
- 1
Do not overcook the beans – they should be soft but hold their shape. Overcooked beans will turn to mush during the later stewing.
- 2
Store in a cool, dark place (cellar or pantry) at a temperature of 5–15 °C – this way the preserve keeps for up to a year.
- 3
Use meaty tomatoes without seeds for a smoother texture of the tomato mixture. Pepper lecho is made on a similar principle.
- 4
The snack is great for a lenten table – it gives plant protein (beans) and vitamins (vegetables).
FAQ
Can I use canned beans? +
Yes, add them at the very end of cooking (instead of boiled ones) – there is no need to wait for them to cook. Drain the brine from the canned beans and rinse them under water. The stewing time with the vegetables is the same 5 minutes. The advantages: you save about 1 hour and do not need to soak the beans overnight. The drawbacks: canned beans are saltier and softer, which may slightly change the flavour of the finished snack. Halve the salt in the recipe if you use canned beans.
How long does the finished salad keep? +
In properly sealed sterile jars in a cool place – up to a year, without losing quality. After opening, keep it in the fridge for up to a week and use it quickly. Signs of a successful preserve: bright colour, a tightly pressed lid, no bubbles. Signs of spoilage: a bulging lid, cloudiness, mould or fermentation – throw such jars away, do not try to use them. Keeping to the storage temperature (5–15 °C) is the key to a long-lasting flavour.
What can replace white beans? +
Red beans will do (they give the snack a more “Mexican” character and a nice colour), chickpeas (sweeter and firmer), black beans (an unusual, exotic option), or mung beans (a small pulse that cooks faster). The cooking time may differ: red beans – 1 hour, chickpeas – 1.5 hours, black beans – 50 minutes, mung beans – 30 minutes. Each kind of pulse gives the salad its own character. You can mix a couple of kinds 50/50 for an interesting combination of colours and textures.
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