Sataraš
this is a traditional Bosnian vegetable dish, usually served over rice. i usually serve it with brown rice, which takes 40 minutes to cook. i put the rice on the stove first, and both are usually done right around the same time.
this can be made vegan by omitting or substituting the whipping cream (its primary purpose is to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes). i'm sure there are many variations of it, but this is the one i grew up with. note that the eggplant is an important addition - i personally don't like eggplant, but i will not make this dish without it.
ingredients
4-6 bell peppers (i like having multiple colors for the visual), roughly chopped (you want big chunks here, not diced)
2 small to medium or 1 very large tomato, roughly chopped
1 large (or two smaller) onion(s), chopped
1 small eggplant, skin-on if possible (if it's not organic, then probably peel it), cut into slices about the width of a finger (idk probably 1.5cm or 3/4 of an inch or so)
a handful of flour (any kind should work, i use whole wheat all purpose)
Vegeta (Croatian spice mix, available at international food stores and amazon if you're in the US) - probably one tablespoon-ish? i don't really measure, i just throw it in there. can always add more after a taste test. note that Vegeta includes salt, so don't also add salt.
olive oil and whipping cream (or milk, in a pinch)
steps:
clean and chop the veggies and heat some olive oil (medium-high) in a deep pan or large-ish pot (i make this in my Sedona 7.5qt non-stick wok with a glass lid which i bought for super cheap and is my absolute favorite. i was going to link to it on macy's website, but apparently it is no longer available. but if you ever see it out in the wild, it is hands down the best cooking vessel i've ever used.)
saute onion until soft and translucent. you can do this while chopping the bell peppers. if it starts to burn, add a tiny bit of water.
add bell peppers and saute for a couple minutes, while chopping tomato
add tomatoes, stir, lower to medium heat and let simmer while you do the next step
in a separate pan, heat up some olive oil on medium high, then press one side of each eggplant slice into the flour, then fry them, floured-side down for a couple of minutes - until the fried side darkens a little. it's important for the oil to be very hot before you put the eggplant in, or else it will just soak it all up.
back to your main pot, add the vegeta and a splash of whipping cream, stir thoroughly. at this point the peppers and tomato should be pretty soft and starting to meld together.
layer the eggplant slices, fried side up, on top of the other veggies, then cover with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 15-ish minutes, until everything is soft and cooked through
stir everything together - the eggplant should pretty much fall apart and integrate easily into the rest.
serve over rice!
