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I was not even planning on sharing this recipe on my blog, as this delicious vegan Eggplant Relish is a typical (must-have) Russian canning meal. I was not sure whether it can be something that Canadians/Westerners would even like. However, after I took it to work for my day of the 12 Days of Christmas Baking, I had so many people asking for the recipe!
They told me that it was so good and also complimented on the flavour. So, all concerns aside, this Canadians-Approved recipe has made it an honourable place on this blog! 🙂 Originally, it was posted on my Russian blog.
At home, we love this relish. We actually now regret that we’ve only canned a few cans of it. We will definitely be making more next summer 😉
So, I won’t make you wait for too much longer.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Eggplant Relish Recipe – Vegan and Delicious!
This recipe was an experiment in terms of proportions. We’d tried it for a couple of times after and it always turned out great! The spice (a mix of coriander and cumin) is what adds lots of flavour but doesn’t overwhelm it.
You can make this with zucchini and patty pans as well. I will be sharing a recipe with them later as well. But for now you will need:
The following ingredients
eggplants, onions, carrots, red bell peppers, tomatoes or tomato sauce, garlic, ground coriander and cumin blend, salt-pepper, vinegar**, and vegetable oil**.
Instructions
Chop* the vegetables. Puree tomatoes with garlic (add hot peppers if you want it spicy) in a blender.
We did not skin tomatoes but you can do that if you are not afraid of this additional step.
Add oil** to the cooking pot, add the vegetables, and pureed tomatoes. Turn the heat to the medium-high and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the vegetables for an hour stirring occasionally.
Sterilize the jars as you do it usually (I usually fill a 1/4 of a jar with water and let it run in the microwave for 4 – 5 minutes) and boil the jar covers in the pot for a couple of minutes.
Fill the sterilized jars with the relish and seal. Turn them upside down and cover with a towel. Let them completely cool down like so before you turn them upright.
Notes
* You can either chop the ingredients as shown in the pictures or cut them into bigger pieces and puree them with an immersing blender. It will be as delicious as the chopped relish but will look like a dip 😉 We do it both ways 🙂
** If you are making the relish to eat it within a week or so, you can reduce the amount of both oil and vinegar or completely eliminate either of them. However, if you are planning on canning it, this is the amount you will need to ensure the relish lasts for months of storage. Please remember – safety first!
This eggplant relish is even better with our homemade sourdough bread!
Enjoy!

- 1 cup vegetable oil (we use sunflower oil)
- 3 large eggplants ~2 kg or 4.4 lbs
- 2 large onions
- 1-2 carrots
- 1 lbs tomatoes ~0.5 kg
- 3-4 garlic cloves (we love garlic)
- 1 tbsp coarse salt (start with 1/2 tbsp and add more if needed)
- 1 tsp ground coriander and cumin mix
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1-2 hot peppers of your choice
-
Chop the vegetables. Puree tomatoes with garlic and hot peppers (optional)
Add oil and veggies to the cooking pot and cook them on a medium heat for an hour.
-
Fill the sterilized jars with relish and seal.
Enjoy!
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I’ve never made a relish myself (only eaten them whenever I got my hands on them!) and now I can’t wait to try your recipe. Perfect with freshly baked bread, I imagine. And anything that can be kept in jars for a long time is my kind of recipe. Thank you!
You are welcome, Evelyne! It is a great canning recipe and it tastes even better after a while. I guess all the juices just mix up and it is mmmmm soooo good! 🙂 Let me know if you try it and like it.
My family loves eggplant! Will definitely be saving this one for later. Thank you!!
You are welcome Bri! If your family loves eggplant, I am sure they will like this salad! Let me know if you try and make it 🙂
Nat, This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Miranda! It is sooo good! 🙂