Ajabsandal

Ajabsandal (or ajabsandali) is a popular vegetarian dish from Caucasus, originating from Georgia. It is commonly made in Armenia and Karabakh as a delicious vegetarian main or side dish and can be served hot or cold.

The dish is so popular that its name – (աջաբսանդալ in Armenian) has acquired a colloquial meaning. It means something messy, made of many different parts. Gabriel Sundukyan, the Tiflis-based Armenian playwright, used it in his famous comedy, Khatabala, to describe of his characters: “His affairs were an ajabsandal”.


Ingredients

  • 3 aubergines

  • 2 courgettes

  • 2 large onions

  • 2 red peppers

  • 500 g tomatoes

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • Tablespoon of vegetable oil

  • Coriander

  • Basil (ideally the purple variety)

  • Parsley

  • Bay leaf

  • Pinch of red ground pepper,

  • Pinch of black ground pepper

  • Pinch of salt

Some recipes use potatoes and okra as well instead of the courgettes.


Directions

Chop the aubergines into 3-4 cm long pieces, put in a bowl with added salt to drain the liquid. Rinse and squeeze after 30 minutes.

Fry the finely chopped onions in oil, add the chopped aubergines, courgettes, peppers and the peeled tomatoes.

Add salt, pepper and bay leaf while simmering on low heat until the vegetables are tender. Add the chopped herbs in the end, before serving.

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By Tatevik Ayvazyan

Image: https://georgianrecipes.net