Vegetable khorovats
Khorovats salad: Armenian fire-grilled aubergine, peppers and tomatoes
No Armenian summer weekend at the dacha passes without a khorovats, the charcoal grill fired up in the garden from Dilijan to Lake Sevan. Alongside the skewers, whole aubergines, peppers and tomatoes are grilled until black and collapsing, then peeled and chopped with raw onion, garlic and herbs into a smoky, juicy salad. Served on its own with lavash, salty cheese and pickles, it makes a full meal, and it is one of the dishes that Armenians say tastes of summer itself. It works on a barbecue or straight on a gas flame. Chef's tip: grill the vegetables whole, without oil and without cutting them; the skins burn and peel away, while the flesh steams inside and soaks up the smoke.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Light a charcoal grill and wait until the coals are covered with grey ash and glow red, about 30 minutes; you should be able to hold your hand above the grill for only 2–3 seconds. Or use the gas flame of a hob turned to high.
Step 2: Prick 3 aubergines twice with a knife. Thread 3 aubergines, 4 red or green peppers and 4 tomatoes on separate metal skewers, as they cook at different speeds.
Step 3: Grill 3 aubergines for 15–20 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the skin is black and blistered all over and the aubergine slumps and feels completely soft when pressed with tongs.
20 minStep 4: At the same time grill 4 red or green peppers for 10–12 minutes and 4 tomatoes for 5–7 minutes, turning, until the skins are blackened and loose. Tomatoes split first; take them off as soon as they do.
12 minStep 5: Pile everything into a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes; the steam loosens the skins.
10 minStep 6: Peel the vegetables, discarding stalks and pepper seeds. A frequent mistake is rinsing them under the tap to get the char off; that washes away the smoky flavour. Wipe off stray black flakes with your fingers instead.
Step 7: Chop the flesh roughly on a board and put it in a bowl with any juices. Add 1 red onion, 2 cloves garlic, ⅔ oz coriander, ½ oz purple basil or green basil, 3 tbsp sunflower or olive oil, 1 tbsp wine vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and mix gently.
Step 8: Leave for 10 minutes for the flavours to meet. Serve warm or at room temperature with lavash.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable khorovats take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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