Fiery Eggplant for Winter
A spicy, aromatic, and incredibly tasty preserve for winter. Fiery eggplant slices for winter are one of the finest salad-style preparations made from eggplant. You can serve this preserve as a standalone appetizer or offer it as an addition to meat dishes and potatoes.
Updated : 03 June, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
1.5 kilograms
Eggplant
350 grams
Bell pepper
300 grams
Tomato
2
Chili pepper
7
Garlic
1 teaspoon
Salt
2 teaspoon
Sugar
50 milliliters
Vinegar
80 milliliters
Vegetable oil
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you make fiery eggplant slices for winter? Prepare all the necessary ingredients for this delicious appetizer. Rinse the eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, and chili peppers in clean water. Remove the stems from the eggplants.
Step 2
Cut the eggplants into rounds about 1 cm thick, about 3/8 inch. Why should you not make them thinner? Because there is a risk that the eggplants will lose their shape, or the slices may tear apart when taking them out of the jar. Sprinkle the eggplants with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Step 3
Pour cold water into the bowl with the eggplants so that it covers them. Gently mix everything so the salt dissolves. Cover the eggplants with a flat plate and place a small weight on top so the slices stay fully submerged in the salted water. This step helps remove bitterness from the eggplants, and later, when frying, they will absorb less oil.
Step 4
Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the vegetables for the preserve. Cut off the stems from the bell peppers and chili peppers and remove the seeds. Peel the garlic.
Step 5
Drain the water from the eggplants and lightly squeeze them with your hands.
Step 6
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a skillet and fry the eggplants on both sides until they develop an appetizing golden crust. Place the cooked slices on paper towels to remove excess oil.
Step 7
Pass the tomatoes and bell peppers through a meat grinder.
Step 8
Grate the garlic and chili peppers on a fine grater. You can also run these two ingredients through the meat grinder, but in that case, small pieces of garlic and chili will be more noticeable in the finished dish.
Step 9
Transfer the ground vegetables to a pot. Add the salt, sugar, vinegar, and vegetable oil, 80 ml, about 1/3 cup. Stir and taste. If you feel any component is lacking, add more to your preference.
Step 10
Place the pot with the vegetables over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time so nothing burns.
Step 11
Remove the pot from the heat. Add part of the eggplants to the pot and gently stir with a spoon so all the slices are coated and submerged in the aromatic sauce.
Step 12
Using a tablespoon, place the slices into sterile jars. The jars can be sterilized in the oven, in the microwave, or over a water bath. Take one eggplant slice at a time, scooping up only a little of the tomato and pepper sauce, and layer them into the jar. When the first batch of eggplants in the pot is used up, add the second half of the slices to the tomato sauce, stir, and pack them into the jars again.
Step 13
Pour the remaining sauce into each jar, filling them almost to the top.
Step 14
Place the filled jars into a pot or large bowl, add water so that it almost covers the jars, and put it over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and sterilize the preserve for 15 minutes.
Step 15
Seal the jars with sterile lids and leave them at room temperature until completely cooled. Then the preserve can be stored in the refrigerator or in a cellar for long-term storage.
Step 16
You can start tasting it after just one week. The aromatic and incredibly tasty eggplants are ready.
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