Homemade Macedonian Pindzhur






Ingredients:

5 eggplants
2 poblano peppers
6 sweet red bell peppers
5 garlic cloves, crushed
16oz can of fire roasted roma tomatoes, skin removed and crushed, warmed in a pan
1/2 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

How to:
Fire up your grill and roast eggplant and peppers on high temperature turning them occasionally till both eggplant and peppers collapse and look charred on the outside but not burned. Set eggplant aside to cool down a bit. Do the same with peppers but place them in a paper bag and close it; the steam will make it easier to peel them later. With the veggies still warm peel eggplant and cut them into small bits. Transfer to a large bowl. Do the same with peppers after removing the skin, seeds and especially ribs of the poblano pepper (to control the heat). Mix with eggplant. Mix in warmed crushed tomato, along with black pepper and salt. Scatter the crushed garlic on top. Heat olive oil till fragrant and almost smoky. Pour over crushed garlic and stir everything together. The aroma of the hot oil and garlic at the top melds with the eggplant mix at the bottom giving the dish a distinct flavor (this process is called tempering). Adjust salt and pepper. Serve.
This is good eaten alone, as a condiment or scooped up with bread or chips. The flavors are wonderfully fresh and taste great the next day.


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