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.
By Tatevik Ayvazyan
Image: https://georgianrecipes.net