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Kabachkovaya ikra
Courgette spread
Kabachkovaya ikra (кабачковая икра): Russian courgette, carrot and onion spread cooked down with tomato
Late summer at the dacha means a glut of courgettes, and the answer across Russia is this soft orange spread, once sold in glass jars in every Soviet grocery and still made by the potful at home. Courgette, carrot and onion are fried in sunflower oil, stewed with tomato until they collapse, blended and then cooked down again until thick enough to stand on bread. It tastes sweet, mellow and lightly tangy, and is eaten cold on black rye bread, with boiled potatoes or as part of a zakuski spread. A common mistake is stopping too early: if the purée still looks watery it will taste flat, so keep stirring until a spoon leaves a trail across the pan. This is a fridge recipe, not a canning one. Chef's tip: make it a day ahead; the flavour rounds out overnight.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb courgettes (zucchini)peeled if large, diced
- 2 onionschopped
- 2 carrotscoarsely grated
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperground
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- ⅓ oz fresh dill (optional)chopped, to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat half the 2 ½ tbsp sunflower oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-high heat and fry the 2 ¼ lb courgettes (zucchini) for 10 minutes, stirring, until they soften and catch a little colour at the edges.
10 minStep 2: Push the courgettes aside, add the rest of the 2 ½ tbsp sunflower oil and fry the 2 onions and 2 carrots for 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden.
8 minStep 3: Stir in the 3 tbsp tomato paste and 3 cloves garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens to brick red.
2 minStep 4: Add the 1 tsp sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and 1 bay leaf, cover and stew over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are completely soft.
20 minStep 5: Remove the bay leaf and blend the mixture with a stick blender until smooth or lightly textured, as you prefer.
3 minStep 6: Return to a medium-low heat uncovered and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring often as it spits, until thick and a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a clear trail.
12 minStep 7: Stir in the 1 tbsp cider vinegar, taste for salt and cool completely. Serve cold with ⅓ oz fresh dill on top; keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 125 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kabachkovaya ikra take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of courgettes (zucchini)?
- Cucumber, same weight (raw dishes only).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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