Spicy Adjika in a Cauldron over Fire for Winter
A rich and aromatic homemade sauce made with seasonal vegetables. Perfect for preserving.
Updated : 30 July, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
2.5 kilograms
Tomato
1 kilograms
Hot chili pepper
1.5 kilograms
Bell pepper
150 grams
Garlic
1 tablespoon
Khmeli-suneli
3 tablespoon
Salt
6 tablespoon
Sugar
50 milliliters
Vinegar
100 milliliters
Vegetable oil
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Advices
Advice
From the listed amount of ingredients, I got 3 jars of 0.5 L each and a bit for tasting. Enjoy your meal!
Preparation
Step 1
If possible, use seasonal vegetables freshly picked from the garden. This makes adjika especially flavorful and rich. You can reduce the amount of hot pepper to taste; in that case, increase the amount of sweet bell peppers.
Step 2
Peel the garlic. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds and stems. Wash all vegetables and herbs thoroughly.
Step 3
Pass the tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers through a meat grinder.
Step 4
Start a fire and place the cauldron (kazan) over it. Pour in vegetable oil and wait until it heats well. Carefully splash some of the hot oil onto the sides of the cauldron using a slotted spoon (be cautious not to burn yourself).
Step 5
Pour the tomato-pepper mixture into the cauldron. Simmer on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 6
Press the garlic through a garlic press and add it to the cauldron. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Add khmeli-suneli (a Georgian spice mix) and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 8
Add salt and sugar. I used Adyghe salt, which contains spices and adds more aroma. Add salt and sugar gradually, adjusting to your taste. I used 3 tbsp (no heap) of salt and 6 tbsp (no heap) of sugar. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 10 more minutes.
Step 9
Finely chop the herbs. Parsley or cilantro work great. Add the herbs to the cauldron.
Step 10
Stir everything and cook for at least 5 more minutes. Adjust based on the desired consistency. I cooked a bit longer to get thick adjika and evaporated as much liquid as possible. Finally, add vinegar and stir well.
Step 11
Pour the adjika into sterilized jars and seal with sterilized lids using a canning key. For sterilizing jars and lids, see the instructions at the end of the full recipe. Turn the jars upside down and wrap in a warm blanket. Once fully cooled, store in a cool place for long-term keeping.