Baklazhanaya Ikra -Russian Eggplant Caviar

Baklazhanaya Ikra, a popular vegetarian spread prepared specially with large eggplants and this dish ressembles tastewise quite like our Indian Baingan Bharta..This caviar is prepared simply by grilling eggplants in oven from which their flesh is taken and prepared along with onions, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper powder..Chopped tomatoes brings them a beautiful colour and this Russian eggplant spread tastes fabulous simply when served along with any bread eventhough Russians goes for their famous rye bread...This spread take an important role in most of Russian home, as this eggplant caviar is known well in Russia as the Poor Man's Caviar..




1no Eggplant(large)
1cup Onion chopped
6tbsp Olive oil
1tsp Garlic (chopped finely)
2no Tomatoes (large & chopped)
1/2tsp Sugar
Salt
Pepper powder
Lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees...Bake the eggplant on the middle rack for about an hour, turning it over once or twice untill the eggplants turn soft..Meanwhile, cook the onions in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in medium heat untill they are soft but not brown...Add the garlic and cook for few minutes, put off the stove...Remove the skin of the egplant with a sharp knife, then chop the pulp finely as a puree..

Add this pureed eggplant to onions and stir in the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper powder...Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan in medium heat and pour in the eggplant mixture.Bring to a boil, stir constantly, then turn the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for an hour.

Remove the cover and cook for another half-hour, stirring from time to time, until the mixture turns thicks.. add the lemon juice as per taste, give a stir...Transfer the mixture to a bowl...

Serve with bread..