Babushka Ganoush aka Soviet aubergine caviar from my grandma

Arguably one of the most widespread dishes in the former Soviet countries, the aubergine caviar is prepared in a different way by each household. In our family it’s my grandma, Valentina, who holds the title of the aubergine caviar expert. It must be the addition of chilli paste that makes her version a winner! Not so long ago my parents and I took my gran out for dinner to a Lebanese restaurant for the first time in her life. Studying the menu she became particularly fascinated by the (peculiarly-sounding to the Russian ear) dish - baba ganoush. When I explained to her that it’s pretty much the Middle Eastern equivalent of her good old aubergine caviar, my mom immediately came up with a new moniker for my gran - Babushka Ganoush. So I see it’s very fitting to use the whimsical name here for this recipe that belongs to my babushka, who still is the queen of the humble aubergine dip in our family. 

Watch the cooking video on my IGTV

Recipe from my cookbook Salt and Time Order a personalised copy here

Serves 4 

2 tbsp of good quality sunflower oil 

1 onion diced 

2 gloves of garlic, minced 

1 carrot, grated 

1 red pepper, cubed 
2 tbsp of tomato paste

200ml of boiling water

1-2 tsp of sweet chilli sauce 

2 aubergines, cubed 

1 tbsp of chopped parsley, dill and coriander 

Salt and black pepper to taste 

A tablespoon of sour cream and a few spring of fresh dill to decorate 

Heat up the oil in a casserole or a medium pot and add the onion and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes. 

Add the grated carrot and red pepper cubes, mix well, and cook further for 5-7 minutes. I prefer to add a pinch of salt with every new batch of vegetables, but if you prefer your food less salty or are watching your salt intake, then skip the addition of salt here. 

Dilute 4 tbsp of tomato paste in boiling water and add the chilli sauce. Mix well and pour over the vegetables. Give it another stir bring to a simmer.

Add the aubergines with another pinch of salt. Mix all the vegetables throughout to ensure that all aubergine cubes are evenly coated, lower the heat, and let the caviar stew for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent it sticking to the bottom. 

You know it’s ready when the aubergine starts to fall apart and all the vegetables start to blend in easily when mixed around with a wooden spoon. 

At this point you can also add another clove of freshly minced garlic together with the fresh herbs and pepper, if you do like to have a bit of extra kick to the dish. 

Take of the heat and let it sit under a lid for 20 mins or so as it cools down. 

Depending on your personal taste, you can either serve the caviar chunky or turn it into a spread by mixing all the ingredients with a hand blender. 

This dish works best once it’s spent the night in the fridge so try to make it a day in advance if you can. 

Serve as part of a starter or zakuski feast with a dollop of sour cream, some fresh herbs and the obligatory rye bread. The preferred serving method in our family is to eat it cold as a late-evening snack with some left over mashed potato.