This delightful Sweet Pepper and Tomato Spread is an authentic Bulgarian relish, known in Bulgaria as Ljutenitsa or Lyutenitsa. Without any doubt, ljutenitsa is the most popular treat in Bulgaria. We were all brought up with it. Even though the relish is most commonly consumed as a spread, it makes a fantastic dip and is great served with grilled meat and veggies. Ljutenitsa is a fantastic vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free option.

HISTORY OF THE BULGARIAN SWEET PEPPER & TOMATO SPREAD LJUTENITSA.

A popular theory is that ljutenitsa was first developed in Bulgaria as a vegetable side dish somewhere around the 1930s. Since the 1960s, with the introduction of the water bath method of processing food, it became a tradition in most households to cook and preserve the spread for consumption throughout the year. Nevertheless, how large quantities of ljutenitsa we make at home, it’s never enough. We all love ljutenitsa so much!

The name Ljutenitsa comes from the Bulgarian word ljut, which means spicy. That suggests that the original recipe was spicy. Today there are more than 30 different recipes for Ljutenitsa in Bulgaria and MacedoEveryevery region has t own variations of the relish.

Making the relish is a family ritual in the Balkans. Traditionally, in late August, families gather to harvest red peppers and tomatoes from their vegetable gardens and cook the relish in gigantic pots on an open fire on wood stoves in their gardens. Every household with a garden in the region has an area specially designed for preparing preserves and relishes, like this one.

WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN THE BULGARIAN LJUTENITSA & THE SERBIAN AJVAR?

There are speculations that the Bulgarian ljutenitsa may be related to another similar Balkan relish, the Ajvar. The Bulgarian and Serbian relish are both made with roasted sweet peppers. The difference is that ljutenitsa is always cooked with tomatoes, and the ajvar does not contain tomatoes.

Ajvar gained popularity around the same time in Serbia as the ljutenitsa in Bulgaria. There is no clear information on which of the two relishes appeared first. Most likely, it was around the same time.

The etymology of the name ajvar is interesting. Ajvar comes from the Turkish word havyar which means caviar and describes a group of dips or relishes made with sweet red peppers, commonly referred to in the past as the caviar of the poor. The name suggests a connection with Turkish cuisine and, therefore, some believe that the origins of both ljutenitsa and ajvar may be linked to the Ottomans who possibly introduced a similar dip in the Balkans that was used as a base in the local recipes.

Ajvar is a popular relish also in Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Croatia.

RECIPE VARIATIONS OF THE BULGARIAN LJUTENITSA.

Recipe variations for this wonderful vegetable spread can include different vegetables. You can make it with eggplants (aubergines), carrots and red chilli peppers, but sweet red peppers and tomatoes are always present.

Always use sweet and ripe tomatoes and peppers when making this relish because they bring a natural sweetness to the relish.

If you like heat, you can jazz up the spread with a couple of chillies. Grill and mince the fresh chillies with the sweet peppers or add chilli powder with the spices.

Often, the relish recipes differ in texture. Some relish variations are chunky and rustic in texture, others are smooth and silky. The texture depends on how the vegetables are processed – finely or coarsely.

I like garlic, a lot! And usually double the amount of garlic in this recipe when making it. If you are not a fan of garlic, use the recommended amount in the recipe. You won’t notice the garlic in the relish, but the flavours will be richer.

Ljutenitsa back home is always made with sunflower cooking oil and red wine vinegar.

Cumin, savoury spice and black pepper are traditional Balkan spices used for seasoning lutenitsa.

Add parsley to the relish for wonderful freshness and crisp flavours.

HOW TO MAKE THIS SWEET PEPPER & TOMATO SPREAD?

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE

The most important ingredients in the spread are the sweet aromatic red peppers.

Traditionally in Bulgaria, this recipe is prepared with long sweet red peppers known as Red Kapia. If you cannot find Red Kapia variety peppers in your area, I recommend substituting them with Romano red peppers. They are widely available in western supermarkets.

This recipe is rather basic. We make the relish only with sweet red peppers, tomatoes and a few flavouring ingredients.

It’s hard to estimate how many jars of ljutenitsa you will have after cooking the recipe because it depends on the liquid inside the vegetables and other factors. Get ready at least 5 x 250ml sterilised jars.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This is the traditional method for making Bulgarian ljutenitsa which involves some effort and time. You can try making the quick version which in my opinion does not have the depth of flavours as the traditionally made relish but it’s still tastes pretty good. View the recipe in Easy Vegetable Dip Ljutenitsa.

Step 1: Prepare the SWEET peppers

You can remove the seeds from the peppers before grilling them but then the peppers lose a lot of their juices during the cooking, so I try to remove them after grilling the peppers. That is a bit more challenging, however, I do recommend it. If you don’t remove the pepper and tomato seeds, you may not enjoy their texture in the relish. The seeds do not get processed properly when you are grinding the vegetables.

The peppers are best chargrilled for beautiful caramelised and smoky flavours. If you do not own a barbecue, roast the peppers in the oven. 

Chargrill the peppers on the barbecue on medium heat for 20 minutes, or until they are soft and their skin blistering.

Alternatively, you can cook sweet peppers in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 200℃/392°F. Roast the peppers for 30-40 minutes or until the peppers are soft and their skin blistering.

How to remove the skin from the COOKED peppers?

To make it easier to remove the skin from cooked peppers, place them in a large bowl straight after roasting or grilling them and cover the bowl tightly with a lid. Let the peppers steam inside the covered bowl for 15 minutes. The moisture locked inside the bowl will make their skin loose and easier to peel.

Removing the skin from grilled or roasted pepper is a messy job. You will probably end up using your hands as much as you will be using the knife. Always keep a small bowl of water handy and rinse your hands regularly in the water to remove pepper skins. 

In the Balkans, many still use old-fashioned manual grinders for pureeing or processing vegetables. However, there is a great variety of specialised appliances or attachments for multipurpose appliances on the market specifically designed for mincing vegetables that you can use.

Use the coarse attachment on your grinder to process the vegetables. If you do not own a vegetable grinder, use a food processor. Be careful when processing the ingredients in a food processor, use the pulsation setting rather than the automatic one, and process the vegetables coarsely.

Drain the liquid from the minced peppers into a clean bowl. You can use a sieve or muslin cloth to do that. This will save you time when cooking the relish. Less moisture in the relish results in less cooking time.

Step 2: Prepare the tomatoes

Blanch the tomatoes for a few minutes with their skin on. Then peel the skin. That way the tomato flesh will not get washed off. Let the tomatoes cool for a few minutes, then peel the skins.

Mince or ground the blanched tomatoes and drain the juices from the tomatoes into the bowl with the juice with the peppers and stir to combine them.

Keep the juices from the peppers and the tomatoes. If your relish is too thick, you may need to add some of this juice.

Step 3: Gather the rest of the ingredients

Clean and mince the garlic in a garlic press and chop the parsley leaves. Remove thick stalks from the parsley.

Step 4: Cook the RELISH

All traditional recipes for ljutenitsa require slow cooking of the relish. In this recipe, the lutenista has to be cooked until it reduces to 1/3 of the initial amount.

Heat the oil and saute the garlic first. Then add the tomato puree and bring it to the boil, then add the peppers.

Add the parsley and the seasoning when the relish is almost ready and cook it for extra 10 minutes.

As a general rule in cooking, always taste the food to make sure it’s ready and well-spiced. Follow the same rule here. Your lutenitsa must taste cooked, not crunchy or overcooked. If you overcook the relish, its colour will change from red to brown, and the taste will be ruined.

If your relish tastes raw but is already quite thick, add some of the juice you reserve from the tomatoes and the peppers.

Step 5: CANNING Sweet pepper & Tomato Spread

Keep the ljutenitsa in the fridge and consume it within one week, or process the jars with relish if you plan to preserve it for an extended period. Canned lutenitsa is good for up to one year, and keeping it handy in your pantry is very handy.

Rules for CANNING

Always use fresh and healthy vegetables. Start canning the vegetables as soon as you have bought or picked them.

Sterilise the jars and lids before use. Best to do that just before canning and pack the jars while they are still warm.

Use clean utensils, towels, bowls and pots to avoid transferring bacteria to your products. 

Always wash your hands before you start canning.

Pack the spread into the sterilised jars, wipe the rim clean and tighten the lids.

Process the jars with the relish in a water bath or a pressure canner.

I use the water bath method to process all kinds of preserves, pickles and relishes. This traditional canning method has been used in the Balkans since the 1960s. The processing time for this relish in a water bath is 20 minutes.

For more detailed information on how to sterilise jars before use and process relish, visit the link here.

Some people do not agree with the water bath method for processing relishes, canning vegetables and meat. Use the canning method of choice.

🍲 HOW TO SERVE LjUTENITSA

Traditionally, lutenista is served as a spread. It’s a fantastic condiment in sandwiches. Children love it even plain, spread on a piece of bread.

The relish pairs really well with salty feta and grilled meats, and can be served as an appetising dip at barbecue parties and can be included in a mezze platter.

Bon Appétit! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳