Adjika (Russian-Style)

July 17, 2019

Adjika (Russian-Style) - kvalifood.com

Adjika is a cooked tomato-and-vegetable sauce from Russia, adapted from the original Georgian raw chili paste. The Russian version is a different product entirely – tomatoes are the base, with carrots, apples, and bell peppers adding body and natural sweetness. It is simmered for about two hours into a thick, spreadable sauce designed for canning and long-term storage.

Serve it as a condiment with pelmeni, bread, grilled meats, or cold cuts. It also works stirred into soups or spread on sandwiches.

Ingredients

Makes ca. 3 liters

2.5 kg ripe tomatoes, quartered
500 g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
500 g tart apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
500 g red bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
150 g garlic cloves, peeled
100 g fresh red chili peppers, stems removed
200 ml neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable)
100 ml white vinegar (5% acidity)
75 g sugar
40 g salt

Directions

Process the tomatoes, carrots, apples, and bell peppers through a food processor until finely chopped but not completely smooth. Work in batches if needed.

Transfer the mixture to a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

While that simmers, process the garlic and chili peppers together in the food processor until finely minced.

After the 1.5 hours, add the oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir well. Add the garlic-chili mixture and stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust salt, sugar, and chili. The sauce should be savory, mildly sweet, and noticeably spicy. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender briefly. For a chunkier spread, leave as-is.

Ladle hot adjika into sterilized jars, leaving 1 cm headspace. Seal tightly. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, or invert jars and let cool upside down for several hours.

Notes

The sauce thickens as it cooks. For a more concentrated paste, simmer longer (up to 3-4 hours total).

Use tart apples (Granny Smith or Antonovka). They add body and acidity without making the sauce sweet.

Hot pepper quantity is the main variable. Start with 100 g and add more if you want serious heat.

Without vinegar, the sauce keeps well canned but has a shorter fridge life once opened. With vinegar, it lasts months in the fridge.

This is not the traditional Georgian adjika, which is a raw paste of hot peppers, garlic, and spices. The Russian version is a different condiment that borrowed the name.