Lutenitsa 🍅 Bulgarian Pepper–Tomato Relish 🇧🇬 (Ljutenica)

Description

Smoky-sweet relish of roasted peppers, tomatoes, and carrots—silky, bright, and slightly spicy. 🫑✨

Hook: Roast, simmer, and jar—big Balkan flavor from pantry veg. ⚡

Ingredients

• 🫑 Red roasting peppers, whole: 1.5 kg (8–10 / 3.3 lb)
• 🍅 Ripe tomatoes (plum), peeled & chopped: 1 kg (6 cups / 2.2 lb)
• 🥕 Carrots, finely grated: 200 g (2 cups / 7 oz)
• 🧅 Onion, finely chopped: 150 g (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, minced: 12 g (4 cloves / 0.4 oz)
• 🫗 Sunflower oil: 120 ml (½ cup / 4 fl oz)
• 🍎 Apple cider vinegar: 20 ml (4 tsp / 0.68 fl oz)
• 🍬 Sugar (balances acidity): 10 g (2 tsp / 0.35 oz)
• 🌶️ Hot chili or flakes (to taste): 1 small chili or 1 tsp flakes
• 🌰 Ground cumin (optional, classic): 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈12 g / 2 tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌿 Parsley, chopped (optional finish): 1 tbsp (4 g / 0.14 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Roast peppers: Broil or grill until charred and soft (20–30 min), turning. Steam covered 15 min, peel, seed, and drain 20 min; chop finely.
2. 2️⃣ Base: In a wide pot, warm oil. Sauté onion 5–6 min; add carrots 4 min. Stir in garlic 30 sec.
3. 3️⃣ Simmer: Add tomatoes and chopped peppers. Cook on medium-low, stirring often, until thick and glossy (35–45 min).
4. 4️⃣ Season: Stir in vinegar, sugar, chili, cumin (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer 3–5 min; adjust to taste.
5. 5️⃣ Finish: Fold in parsley. Cool and refrigerate up to 1 week—or jar hot into sterilized jars.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 30 min
🔥 Cook: 1 h 15 min
⏳ Total: 1 h 45 min

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