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Looking for a unique and delicious way to incorporate eggplant into your meals? Try this traditional Russian recipe for eggplant caviar, also known as ikra. Delicious warm or cold and made with fragrant spices, it’s perfect as a spread, dip, or topping for meats and fish.
Properly prepared eggplant is simply stunning as a spread. For an approach from another region that knows what to do with this underrated vegetable, try my baba ganoush recipe!
It’s tragic that many people don’t appreciate just how amazing eggplants could be. If only they could taste this amazing eggplant caviar. A true comfort food, it’s how we dream vegetables could always taste.
The recipe I am sharing today is a riff on the eggplant caviar my grandmother used to make, or at least how I remember it.
Eggplant caviar or ‘baklazhannaya ikra’ is a very popular summer dish in Russia and a handful of other Eastern European countries. But every cook’s recipe is slightly different.
Even my mother’s and my grandmother’s recipes varied. The main reason for so much variety in the method is based on the availability of ingredients and personal taste.
What is Russian Eggplant Ikra?
I often hear Russian food described as ‘bland’. Occasionally there can be some truth to it but only when it comes to main dishes. But this is because they are rarely served on their own.
Meals are eaten accompanied by many sides like salads, pickles and ferments. Together they create a complex flavour that is far from plain.
This eggplant caviar (‘ikra’ in Russian) is one of those sides! It’s a flavour maker. The eggplants are cooked with garlic, onions and red peppers over low heat for a long time.
As it cooks the spongy eggplant collapses and turns into a smooth and silky spread. All the delicious flavours added to the eggplants infuse them with flavour.
Traditionally not too many spices are added besides black pepper, dill and parsley. But my grandmother added cracked coriander seeds, which made her eggplant caviar incredibly fragrant, delicious and slightly exotic.
To this day cooking in Eastern Europe is quite seasonal. People use whatever ingredients are available at the time. And home cooks are generally very flexible about following recipes and don’t get stressed over exact measurements.
This means you can find a lot of variety in how this traditional recipe is prepared and enjoyed. There’s no use arguing about what is right and wrong – preference is far more important – but this method is my absolute fav!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- The eggplant will need to be cubed before being added to the pot, but the size doesn’t matter a whole lot. Some cooks use bigger pieces, some smaller. It’s all down to preference. My pieces were very approximately 2 1/2 cm/1″ cubes.
- What is important is to cut the pieces so that they are the same size, and will therefore cook at the same rate. You don’t have to stress too much – some variation is inevitable – but get them as close in size as you can.
- Test your eggplant before removing it from the stovetop. It should be tender, so if it feels spongy, leave it for 20-30 minutes longer.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a side dish to any meat. Or as a snack on top of crackers or our Sourdough Bread. I’m also a fan of adding a liberal spread to a sandwich, like this Goat’s Cheese Sandwich.
It’s a fantastic snack, which is why I often have a jar of it in my fridge for any time a craving strikes. But it’s also lovely with a bowl on the table as a side dish, or part of a spread at a barbecue or picnic.
Storage and leftovers
Ikra can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Let it cool to room temperature first, then store it in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container.
Because this is eggplant caviar is meant to be served cold, just grab what you need from the fridge and enjoy!
More eggplant recipes
Russian Eggplant Caviar with Cracked Coriander Seeds
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
- This is an affiliate link.Mortar and pestle
- This is an affiliate link.Garlic press
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large red pepper, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, cracked
- 4 medium eggplants, cubed
- 125ml / 1/2 cup tomato juice
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 10g / 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a large cast iron pot heat olive oil, then add onions and red pepper and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until translucent but not coloured. Then add garlic and cracked coriander seeds (use mortar and pestle to crack coriander seeds), stir until the mixture is fragrant for approximately 1 minute.
- Add eggplant, tomato juice and ketchup, stir, cover with a lid and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours until there is very little liquid left and the eggplant is a spreadable consistency. Check on your eggplant caviar every 20 minutes or so and stir to avoid it burning to the bottom.
- When the mixture has reduced considerably salt it to taste, then add chopped fresh cilantro. (If your eggplant still has a spongy texture at the end of cooking time, cook it for 20-30 minutes longer.)
- Serve with bread or crackers.
Notes
- The size of the eggplant pieces can vary depending on preference. Mine were approximately 2 1/2 cm/1″ cubes.
- Make sure that the pieces are cut to roughly the same size. This will ensure that they cook at the same rate.
- If your eggplant is spongy after 1 1/2 hours, leave it to cook for 20-30 minutes longer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love the different caponatas all over Sicily. Tried this last year and liked it a lot. I froze it in small containers (12 oz) so could take it out to Enliven a winter meal. Have a pot cooking now. We grow a lot of eggplant and need many recipes!
I am so glad to hear it, Sara! Enjoy!
Yessss this is a lot like the Italian caponata with a different flavour profile – had no idea there was an Eastern European version! I am obsessed with eggplant so shall make this 🙂
Enjoy, Tallulah. I hope it becomes a favourite!
Thank you for your recipes and for evoking strong and happy childhood memories. Mine is currently cooking and I can wait to try ❤️
My pleasure, Natasha! Enjoy! 🙂
I love eggplant but I am allergic to tomatoes and tomato products. Would this be good if I left those out?
You could definitely make it without tomatoes although they do add a bit of sweetness to the taste.
This has become a staple in my kitchen and I make it nearly every time I find eggplants on sale. It works beautifully for meal prep – I can prep baked chicken, roasted vegetables, and either rice or quinoa and tie it all together with either a couple of spoonfuls of this, or a dressing/sauce of some sort so I have variety throughout the week. Next I need to try freezing a batch to see if its still as good thawed out – that would allow me to double up when I do cook and save even more time on my meal preps!
I did make a couple of changes on my end – instead of the tomato juice and ketchup, I just use a can of crushed or diced tomatoes. And to give it a bit more heat and smokiness I either add paprika or the korean chili powder gochugaru. It comes out delicious!
I love the idea of adding some spice into it, Jas!! Now I am feeling hungry for some eggplant caviar!
Is the red pepper a spicy pepper or more like a bell pepper? This sounds delicious!
Thank you. It’s like a bell pepper but even sweeter, Kealu!
Love, love, love eggplant caviar. My mother’s recipe is different , just as you mentioned everyone has a slight variation. She would roast the eggplant in the oven, then scoop out the innards, and use a hand-crank grinder to course-grind the eggplant. The spread is wonderful on some dark rye bread. Thanks for your recipe and for stirring up some fond memories.
I was considering doing it that way, Ingrid. That’s pretty much how I make baba ganoush but my mum and granny always had it slightly chunky, so I wanted to keep that tradition. 🙂 Yes, fresh rye bread would be so lovely with it!! Thank you for stopping by!