How to make Georgian-style bakat, an eggplant appetizer for the winter, without sterilization and with beans

Eggplant is one of the healthiest vegetables, rich in vitamins B, A, C, and K, as well as folate. Regular consumption can help prevent spleen and kidney diseases. It also has a unique flavor. To keep a source of beneficial vitamins on hand year-round, we recommend making eggplant bacat for the winter.

Salad preparation features

Bakat is a light dish made with seasonal vegetables. This makes it healthy, low-calorie, and takes just a few minutes to prepare.

Selecting and preparing the main ingredients

To ensure your salad is juicy and delicious, you should choose and prepare your vegetables wisely before cooking:

• The main ingredient is eggplant. Overripe vegetables have a bitter taste and are unsuitable for the salad. The eggplant should be firm and smooth, not giving way when pressed. Only the flesh is used for this dish, and it should be diced. First, soak the eggplant in salted water for 1.5 hours, then rinse thoroughly with boiling water. This little trick will remove the bitterness.
• Pepper is an additional ingredient. Only sweet varieties are suitable for this preparation. Before cooking, the pepper must be peeled, seeded, and cut into strips.
• For bakat, choose large carrots. Before cooking, grate them through the large holes of a grater.
• Tomatoes create the unique flavor of this vegetable salad. Choose only soft, ripe tomatoes. Grind their flesh through a meat grinder or blender. To make peeling easier, soak the tomatoes in hot water for 3 minutes, then in cold water for 1 minute.

A classic bakat consists of four vegetables: eggplant (2 kg), peppers (1 kg), carrots (0.5 kg), and tomatoes (1.5 kg). Depending on the recipe, other ingredients may be needed.

How to make eggplant bakat for the winter

Bakat is a moderately spicy and rich dish. It can be prepared in several ways.

Classic recipe

This classic appetizer recipe is quite simple. It only takes 20-30 minutes to prepare. To do this:

1. Place all the main chopped vegetables into a container: eggplant, carrots and peppers.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, processed in a meat grinder or blender.
3. You can add chopped parsley or dill if desired.
4. Sprinkle 150 grams of sugar and 50 grams of salt on top of the vegetables.
5. Pour the contents into 450 ml of refined oil.
6. The mixture should be simmered over low heat for 30 minutes. The final step is to add 100 ml of 6% vinegar, after which the bakat should be simmered for another 10 minutes.

The winter preparation must be carefully poured into sterile glass jars and tightly closed with lids.

The quick way

The fastest way to prepare a vegetable salad is in the oven. Preheating the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) will soften the vegetables faster. Instead of 40 minutes, it will take only 20-30 minutes to cook. And the vegetables will be more flavorful.

Without sterilization

Many women refuse to prepare food for the winter simply because they have problems sterilizing storage containers.

Is it possible to make bakat without this procedure? Fortunately, yes!

To do this, you need to take several basic steps:

1. Place the hot prepared salad into jars.
2. Close them tightly with a lid.
3. Wrap the blanks in a warm blanket until they cool completely, this may take from 10 to 24 hours.

In this case, a long cooling period will compensate for the sterilization process.

With beans

Vegetarians use beans instead of meat. This product is rich in protein. It is recommended to add them to bakat to enhance its nutritional and beneficial properties. To prepare the mixture, use half a kilogram of white beans. First, soak them in plenty of water for 12-15 hours. Next, rinse them thoroughly and simmer over low heat until softened. Add the beans to the prepared bakat before adding the vinegar.

With onions

There's another option for preparing this preserve—a snack version. It involves adding 1 kg of onion to the main ingredients.

First, it needs to be cleaned, chopped, or passed through the small holes of a grater.

Fry the onion in a pan until golden brown. Once cooked, simmer over low heat with the other ingredients. If you want a spicier dish, add garlic, minced or grated, along with the onion.

In a multicooker

You can cook vegetables in a slow cooker instead of over low heat. The result is similar, but you won't have to stand over the stove constantly stirring the food. Cook the dish in the "Stewing" mode for 50 minutes.

From white eggplants

Everyone is used to seeing eggplants as blue. But if a hostess wants to surprise her guests, she simply must create an unusual preparation using white eggplants. In appearance and taste, this vegetable variety is almost indistinguishable from mushrooms.

The preparation principle is the same as the classic recipe, but the proportions are slightly modified. For 1 kg of eggplant, you'll need 0.5 kg of pepper, 200 g of carrots, 700 g of tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon each of sugar and salt. Less vinegar is also needed—just 30 grams. Those who prefer a spicy flavor are advised to add one hot pepper to the main vegetable mix.

In Georgian

A characteristic feature of all Georgian dishes is their piquancy, which is achieved through the addition of spices. This appetizer can be prepared as follows:

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan.
2. Place 4 chopped cloves, 2 bay leaves, 10 grams of garlic and 2-3 onions on the bottom of the container and fry all ingredients for 5 minutes.
3. In a separate frying pan, fry 1 kg of chopped eggplant pulp until it becomes soft.
4. Combine the eggplant with the spice mixture, stewed tomatoes, carrots and peppers, then simmer for another 10 minutes.

To prepare Georgian bakata, it is recommended to cut the eggplant into thin rings of 2-3 cm, and the onion should also be cut into half rings.

With cucumbers

Many housewives have fallen in love with the combination of cucumbers and eggplant. Therefore, you can add 1 kg of fresh cucumbers to the classic bakat recipe. It's recommended to peel them beforehand to avoid them becoming tough. When cooking, the cucumbers should be stewed along with all the other vegetables.

In Korean

Lovers of Korean cuisine should prepare a winter preserve using a special recipe.

To do this you need:

• cut the eggplants into equal cubes;
• boil them in salted water for 5 minutes;
• drain the liquid and squeeze the vegetables;
• Place onion, pepper, garlic and Korean-style carrots in a saucepan;
• add butter, salt, sugar and black pepper;
• simmer vegetables over low heat for 35 minutes.

The main difference from the classic recipe is that you use Korean-style carrots instead of fresh ones..

In Tatar

The Tatar-style preparation is prepared in a similar manner. However, the ingredients are slightly different. Instead of sweet pepper, add 1.5 kg of bell pepper and 2 hot peppers.

Further storage of bakat

Canned bakat can be stored throughout the cold season—from fall to late spring—but only in an airtight container. Once opened, the salad should be consumed within 2 weeks. Eggplant bakat is a simple and budget-friendly dish. The taste of fresh vegetables is sure to delight your guests!