Behind every culinary recipe there is a desire not only to diversify familiar dishes, but also to preserve the nutritional value of the products as much as possible. Some options are striking in their combination of availability of ingredients, ease of preparation and amazing results. One of the unique, everyone’s favorite dishes can be safely called Armenian adjika. Certain spices and herbs add a special piquancy to the dish. Therefore, not everyone can prepare real spicy adjika with tomato flavor.
Greens are of great importance in Armenian cuisine; not a single dish can do without them. The “green” base for Armenian adjika is cilantro. If you have other favorite plants for similar preparations, then their quantity should be much smaller.
Usually the phrase Armenian adjika brings to mind a very spicy dish. But modern housewives have learned to prepare this appetizer with varying degrees of spiciness so that everyone in the family can enjoy the excellent taste of the tomato dish. Here it should be clarified that classic adjika is indeed hot and is prepared without tomatoes. To prepare it, use rubber gloves to protect your skin and eyes from the effects of hot pepper. The basis of the dish is hot capsicum. Additionally, you will need garlic, salt, a mixture of herbs - suneli hops, coriander, dill seeds. To slightly reduce the spiciness of the dish, it is permissible to replace some of the hot pepper with paprika.All components are thoroughly ground in a blender. If a meat grinder is used, then the mixture is passed through it 2-3 times. Salt can only be added at the end of cooking.
Nuances for home cooks
What affects the taste and appearance of adjika? First of all, it is a method of grinding ingredients. The best options are a meat grinder and a blender. If you want to try a new recipe in small quantities, a grater will do the trick.
The second characteristic is the type of pepper and a set of spices.
To prepare adjika according to the classic recipe, it is best to use those varieties of pepper that are familiar to you or that grow in your region. Common bitter varieties of choice are Habanero, Jalapeño, Poblano, or Anaheim. The last type of pepper will suit those who do not really like very hot adjika.
Among the types of garlic for adjika, you should choose purple.
And let's focus on another important part - spices. The classic recipe involves adding coriander seeds, but other variations are modern creativity. Here it is important to maintain a logical approach and moderation. A small amount of hops-suneli and shambhala goes well with the main ingredients.
The next ingredient is salt. There are not too many options here, but experienced chefs advise taking seafood.
Opinions vary regarding vinegar. It is appropriate when preparing adjika at home with sweet peppers or fresh herbs. In this case, it will increase the shelf life of adjika. By the way, the only additive to adjika that is recognized in the Caucasus is sweet pepper. It is considered a product that improves the taste of traditional adjika.
Armenian version of adjika
The recipe for Armenian adjika is not fundamentally different from the classic one. To get a flavorful snack you will need 5 kg of tomatoes (whole), half a kilo of hot peppers, 1 kg of garlic, 50 g of salt is enough. But it is better to add salt to your taste.
It’s easy to prepare an Armenian appetizer:
Wash the tomatoes, cut into pieces, and grind in a meat grinder. Add some salt.
Wash the hot peppers and cut off the stems. Twist the rest of the seeds too. At the same time, you can add peeled garlic to the meat grinder.
Place all ingredients in an enamel bowl and mix. Now you need to leave the Armenian spicy adjika in the same container for fermentation. The process takes 10-14 days. The main thing is not to forget to stir the mixture every day. After fermentation is complete, the dish is ready for tasting.
What does the recipe for Armenian adjika with herbs look like?
Indeed, in the previous version, even cilantro is missing. Let's prepare a spicy appetizer with herbs. To do this, take 2 kg of hot pepper, add 300 g of tomato paste, a bunch of cilantro and 3 g of coriander (seeds). An option for preparing Armenian adjika for the winter. The recipe also includes bell pepper (3 kg), to reduce the sharpness, onions for vegetable taste, a glass of peeled garlic and vegetable oil. Salt for the mixture is taken to taste, optimally 1 tablespoon.
Let's begin the culinary magic:
- Let's prepare the dishes for rolling - sterilize the lids and jars in the oven or in a water bath.
- Wash and peel the peppers – hot and sweet. We remove both types from seeds and stalks. Use gloves for hot peppers. Let's grind it in a meat grinder first.
- After peeling, pass the onion and garlic through a meat grinder, but separately.
- Cut the cilantro into smaller pieces and grind the coriander seeds in a kitchen mill.
- Heat a frying pan with oil, add the onion and heat for 5 minutes. Now add garlic to the pan.
- After 5 minutes it’s the peppers’ turn. Now simmer the whole mass until golden brown.
- The next step is to add tomato paste, ground coriander, salt and cilantro. The whole mass remains on the fire for 20 minutes.
Now let’s put the Armenian adjika into jars, wait for the product to cool completely and store it in a cool room.
Cooking a spicier dish
We will prepare the main ingredients in the same composition and quantity as in the previous recipe. The only difference is that you will need less hot pepper, only 300 grams.
We list additional components separately:
- 30 grams of hops-suneli;
- 3 kg of fresh tomatoes;
- 0.5 cups sugar;
- 2 tablespoons salt;
- 100 ml vinegar.
Step-by-step preparation of Armenian adjika at home:
Grind the tomatoes to a puree consistency. Let's put it on the stove to boil.
At this time, prepare both types of peppers - wash them, peel them from stems and seeds, chop them, and put them in a bowl with tomatoes.
Cook the mixture, stirring regularly for 10 minutes.
Now pour in the vegetable oil and continue to simmer the Armenian adjika for 1 hour.
At this time, prepare the dressing. It includes chopped herbs, garlic, salt, sugar, suneli hops. Cilantro can be varied with basil, parsley and dill.
When the Armenian adjika is ready, add the dressing and vinegar, leave the mixture to cool.
Then we put it into jars (sterilized!) and send them to a cool place.
Spicy Armenian adjika is ideal for various uses - as a snack, sauce, or as a component of sandwiches. An important advantage of the dish is its ease of preparation and versatility. Having tried the dish once, your family cannot refuse it.
