Lyutenitsa

Ingredients

• 3 kg red bell peppers (kapia)
• 2 kg tomatoes
• 500 g carrots
• 1 pieces aubergine
• 200 ml sunflower oil
• 6 pieces garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp savory (chubritsa)

Steps

1. 1
   Roast the peppers and the aubergine until the skins blacken, then seal them in a covered pot for 20 minutes to steam.
2. 2
   Peel and seed the peppers and scoop the aubergine flesh. Work over a bowl but discard the watery juices — they will only lengthen the cooking.
3. 3
   Boil the carrots until soft.
4. 4
   Grate the tomatoes on a box grater, discarding the skins, and reduce the pulp in a wide pan for 30 minutes.
5. 5
   Mince the peppers, aubergine and carrot coarsely — traditionally through a mincer, not a blender, which makes it pasty.
6. 6
   Add everything to the reduced tomato with the oil, sugar, salt and savory.
7. 7
   Cook uncovered on low heat for 1.5-2 hours, stirring often with a wooden spoon and scraping the base. It is ready when a spoon dragged through leaves a channel that does not close.
8. 8
   Stir in the crushed garlic in the last 5 minutes. Jar hot and sterilise if storing.