This marinated salad is saturated with Russia’s southern summer flavors.
Yulia MulinoKuban is the unofficial name of the region that includes Krasnodar Krai and a few neighboring areas in southern Russia. For centuries, this area was a source of food for the entire country. Thanks to its warm climate, peppers, tomatoes, and even eggplants grow better here than anywhere else in Russia.
I know from my grandmother that there’s a special love for eggplants in the south, where they’re fondly called sinenkie, or “little blue ones”. In addition to eggplant caviar, as well as baked and stuffed eggplants, pickled eggplants are a traditional dish. This was especially relevant when there were no refrigerators.
How exactly to cook eggplant salad in the Kuban style (po-kubanski)? The salad is stacked with layers of eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. The best way to prepare this dish is to boil the eggplant briefly. That way, it will lose some of its bitterness and absorb less oil when fried.
The quality of the vegetables and herbs is important. So I chose the most flavorful ones that you can find in local grocery stores. This year I managed to grow my own tomatoes. An important element in this salad is the dressing of greens and garlic; it will give the dish spiciness and flavor.
This dish is more often served as a snack, but it can also be used as a main dish.
For marinade:
1. Cut off the eggplant stalks, put them in cold water and turn on the burner. After boiling, simmer for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size. Your eggplant should stay firm.
2. Cut bell peppers into medium sized chunks. Flatten and grill in a greased pan until semi-tender.
3. Cut the eggplant into 6 mm rings.
4. Fry the eggplants in a pan with a little oil until golden brown.
5. Finely chop the herbs and garlic, and crush.
6. Cut tomatoes into 4 mm rings.
7. When all the ingredients are ready, begin layering the salad. Choose a ceramic or glass dish with a lid.
8. The first layer is the eggplant. I decided to cut the eggplant rings into halves, so it will be more convenient to serve later. Sprinkle the eggplant with the mixture of herbs and garlic. Repeat until you run out of eggplant.
9. Spread a new layer with the peppers.
10. Finally, place the tomatoes, interspersing each with the herbs.
11. To make the marinade, dissolve the sugar and salt in water and heat the mixture; add the vinegar and remove from the burner.
12. Pour the salad with the hot mixture so that the vegetables marinade better.
13. Cover and marinate for 8-12 hours. Store for a few days in the fridge.
14. Serve it with a sprinkle of aromatic oil. Enjoy!
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