Eggplant and bell pepper lecho for the winter - a simple recipe

The good thing about eggplant lecho is that it does not have a clear recipe. You can choose the ratio of products yourself, as well as add additional ingredients. The main ingredients in the recipe are eggplants, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Everything else, like carrots, garlic, herbs, all this is added solely at the request of the hostess. Eggplants are rich in potassium and are quite filling. Eggplant lecho can be eaten as a salad, or as an independent dish, with fresh bread.

For the first time, you can stick to the already “classic” recipe. And after the hostess gets the hang of it, we can talk about introducing additional ingredients.

• 1 kg eggplant (not overripe);
• 0.5 kg of onion;
• 05 kg tomatoes (very ripe);
• 0.5 kg bell pepper;
• 100 grams of vegetable oil;
• salt, pepper, or paprika. You can replace the pepper with garlic, but it depends on your taste.

To prepare lecho, eggplants do not need to be peeled.Wash them and cut the eggplants into fairly large pieces. If you chop the eggplant finely, during cooking it will spread into a “porridge”, and it won’t be the same.

Place the chopped eggplants in a deep bowl and cover with cold water for about 1 hour. It is necessary for the bitterness to come out of the skin, and during this time you can already begin preparing the lecho.

Pour vegetable oil into a saucepan and heat it. Peel and chop the onion and fry it in oil until the onion becomes translucent.

Peel the tomatoes, chop them and add to the onions. Turn the heat down a little so the onions don't burn. Lecho is stewed, not fried.

Peel the bell pepper, cut it into strips or rings, as you wish, and add to the tomatoes. Stir the lecho and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain the eggplants, dry them slightly with a napkin, and add them to the boiling vegetables.

Salt, pepper and stir the lecho.

Wait until it boils, cover with a lid, and turn the heat to the lowest possible setting. If there is a divider, you need to place the saucepan on it. The quieter the boil, the better the end result. From the moment you add the eggplants and boil the lecho, you need to mark one hour.

This time is enough to sterilize the jars if you want to make eggplant lecho for the winter.

Some housewives add vinegar 3 minutes before cooking, as a preservative for the winter. Vinegar somewhat changes the taste of the dish, and many people prefer to do without it. As a result of many years of experience, we found that eggplant lecho lasts well until spring if:

1. The jars have been sterilized;
2. Lecho is rolled up immediately after pouring into jars;
3. The storage temperature does not exceed + 15 degrees, and the jars are kept in a dry, dark place.

These are all the requirements for storing workpieces for the winter, and as you can see, there are not many of them.

Watch the video on how to cook lecho with eggplants and cook with us: