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

5.0 / 5 0
Sauces Balkan Sep 22, 2025 84
Site avg: 4.5 / 5 Total votes: 11

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

  • 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.
  • 2️⃣ Base: In a wide pot, warm oil. Sauté onion 5–6 min; add carrots 4 min. Stir in garlic 30 sec.
  • 3️⃣ Simmer: Add tomatoes and chopped peppers. Cook on medium-low, stirring often, until thick and glossy (35–45 min).
  • 4️⃣ Season: Stir in vinegar, sugar, chili, cumin (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer 3–5 min; adjust to taste.
  • 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

Nutritional Value

🔋 Energy: ~35 kcal
💪 Protein: ~1 g
🧈 Fat: ~2 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~4 g
🧂 Sodium: ~170 mg

Advice

Drain roasted peppers before simmering—less water = faster reduction and a jammy, spoonable texture.

Why it works

Tomatoes and carrots bring natural pectin and sweetness; slow cooking in oil forms a silky emulsion; a splash of vinegar brightens and balances the roasted depth.

Twist

Blend half smooth and leave half chunky for a “spread + relish” hybrid that’s perfect on bread and grilled meats.

Status

Spreadable sunshine—Lutenitsa that turns bread, meat, and cheese into a feast. #grannyzen #lutenitsa

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