Eggplant Caviar (Ikra)

10/09/2022

Eggplant Caviar (Ikra) is a popular Slavic spread made with a delicious medley of eggplant, bell peppers, and caramelized onions. This eggplant spread is best served atop sliced bread, with pita chips, as a side salad to grilled meats, or an appetizer – part of a charcuterie board.

Table of Contents

1What is Eggplant Caviar (Ikra)?

This delicious ikra spread can sometimes go by the name of eggplant caviar. It’s a very popular dish in many Slavic countries and jokingly called a poor man’s caviar since eggplant is so commonly eaten.

2How to Make Eggplant Caviar

Preheat the oven.
Roast the bell peppers and eggplant.
Let the roasted veggies sit in a covered bowl, then remove and discard the skin.
Sautee onions and carrot in oil.
Add the roasted veggies to the pan with the sauteed vegetables. Add tomato sauce.
Season with herbs, then cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
Allow the Ikra to cool before serving with sliced bread or any other way you’d like.

Eggplant Caviar

Turkish Style Eggplant Caviar

While preparing appetizers, it is generally overlooked that the preparation of pastes is a bit difficult. We are sure that your opinion will change when you try our roasted eggplant paste recipe! Eggplant paste, which suits every table and can be enriched with different sauces, will rise to the top of your appetizer alternatives.

Eggplant paste is a delicious accompaniment to your main meals and its preparation is also very practical. The secret of flavor in the eggplant paste recipe comes from the roasted eggplants. To make the eggplant paste, you can roast the eggplants in the grill mode of the oven, or you can roast them on the stove over medium heat by turning them in all directions. Let’s also mention that when you roast it on the stove, you will feel the wonderful aroma of roasted vegetables more. Using real eggplants cooked in real embers in your eggplant mash recipe will bring the flavor to the top.

Roasted eggplant is our main ingredient in the eggplant paste recipe. You decide the sauces you will use according to your taste! The more well-known eggplant paste with yoghurt is one of the fresh appetizers of the summer tables. Let’s note here that the secret of the eggplant appetizer with yogurt is strained yogurt!

If the eggplant appetizers are ready, let’s get you this way for other great appetizer recipes .

How about adding an alternative with lots of pomegranate syrup and walnuts to appetizer tables? If your answer is “Yes”, let us invite you to our sun-dried tomato appetizer recipe. Of course, it is impossible not to mention the classic taste haydari recipe .

Eggplant Caviar with Tahini

If you are tired of yoghurt or plain eggplant paste recipes, a recipe enriched with the unique aroma of tahini is with you! Cut the roasted eggplants into small pieces and mash, mix the tahini and lemon in a separate bowl. Mix this wonderful sauce with eggplants and add garlic, yogurt, lightly roasted sesame and salt, which is the last step of the eggplant paste with tahini. Our eggplant paste recipe is ready, bon appetit!

Creamy Eggplant Paste

We talked about the simple, tahini and yogurt eggplant paste recipes, let’s talk about the creamy eggplant paste flavored with the soft taste of cream! Roasted and smashed eggplants are in the lead role. Eggplants meet with cream, yoghurt, olive oil and garlic; reveals the recipe for creamy eggplant paste!

Eggplant Paste Without Yoghurt

Eggplant paste is also a delicious appetizer when made without yogurt. We can actually call it an easy eggplant paste recipe instead of yogurt-free eggplant paste! Because all you have to do is roast and mash the eggplants and mix them with garlic, olive oil and lemon. If you want to add

Roasted eggplant, red bell pepper, tomatoes, grilled onion, parsley, garlic

Ikra is known as eggplant “caviar” in Russia, one of my favorite appetizers lathered on fresh-baked bread. It is a traditional blend of eggplant, fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, onions and spices slow-cooked together to savory perfection.