Some are prepared to eat squash caviar every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Despite the fact that this appetizer is called "caviar", it has nothing to do with fish. In fact, this is a vegetable puree or paste. This preparation can be made from a mixture of any vegetables (for example, eggplant, pumpkin, beets and mushrooms), but the most popular option is from zucchini. What are the benefits and harms of squash caviar and how to cook this delicacy on your own?
How did this appetizer come about?
In Soviet times, a classic recipe for squash caviar was created. The constant food shortage made it the number one national dish, as it was cheap and always available in almost empty stores. Fortunately, these times are in the past, but squash caviar is still one of the most beloved snacks of people in the post-Soviet space.
A bit of history
The production of canned caviar from zucchini began in the 1930s. However, a violation of sanitary rules at one plant caused an outbreak of botulism in 1933 in Dnepropetrovsk, which killed 200 people. After that, the benefits and harms of squash caviar were actively discussed, considering it to a greater extent a harmful product.
For many years, canned caviar from zucchini was not considered safe until it was noticed on the menu of the Soviet first lady. According to Russian historians, at some point, Nikita Khrushchev's wife, Nina, tried to follow a diet. As a result, she ate a lot of vegetables, including caviar from them. The state leader, apparently, was so inspired by the dish that he ordered the construction of the largest cannery. So squash caviar again appeared on the menu of many people in the Soviet Union.
Zucchini and eggplant caviar
In addition to the squash, eggplant caviar was distributed in the Soviet Union. This vegetable was grown only in the south, so many considered it unusual. Eggplant caviar was never in short supply, but was not in demand. It became popular only after the cult film of L. Gaidai in 1973, "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes the Profession." The legendary director portrayed eggplant caviar as a very rare “overseas” delicacy, worthy of a prominent place on the king’s festive table. The film shows huge dishes of fish caviar, filled to the brim, and just one tablespoon of eggplant. This scene was so popular in Soviet times (and after) that many Russians still regard eggplant caviar as “overseas”. After the film, Gaidai also became fashionable to eat her during gala dinners.
Zucchini caviar did not need such an advertisement. Many housewives cooked it for the winter on their own.
Why is the product so called?
Vegetable caviar is a bit like stew, but why is it called caviar? In Russian, this word has the same root as the verb “cut” (in the sense of “cut”). To get fish caviar, the carcass needs to be cut. And in Russian dictionaries, caviar is defined as follows: "a dish of finely chopped vegetables, mushrooms and plants."
How is it cooked?
The original squash caviar is actually made from young vegetables (zucchini or zucchini), which are actively grown in Russia. You can use European varieties of this culture. The main ingredients of the harvest are carrots, onions, tomato paste and sunflower oil. What are the benefits and harms of squash caviar?
This vegetable contains a lot of fiber (even after cooking) and has few calories, so it is quite useful. If you are looking for plant-based foods that are tasty and light, this is a great choice. One serving of squash caviar contains only 82 calories and 7 grams of fiber. You can use it as a side dish for the main course, you will have an excellent healthy dinner that will support a feeling of satiety until the morning.
However, the benefits and harms of squash caviar should be carefully studied when losing weight. On the one hand, it is a low-calorie snack that can cause satiety. However, the product contains a significant amount of salt, due to which it can retain fluid in the body. Therefore, caviar from zucchini is not suitable for every diet.
What is the difference between zucchini?
Zucchini can be considered as natural natural multivitamins. Besides the fact that they have a high level of potassium, which is necessary for healthy bones and blood vessels, these vegetables also help fight the flu, improving the functioning of the immune system. This is due to the vitamin B6 content. Children can benefit from folate in the zucchini.
The yellow-orange flesh of a vegetable marrow is a good illustration of what is contained inside. In addition to the high level of antioxidants that help renew cells, the vegetable has a high content of beta-carotene (which is converted by the body into vitamin A). Along with vitamin C, these compounds help the body fight breast cancer and macular degeneration (loss of vision) in the elderly.
All this indicates the exceptional benefits of squash caviar for the body, and its harm can only consist in a high content of potassium. To people suffering from some kidney diseases, the use of this trace element in excess can harm.
How to cook it?
Today, caviar from zucchini can be easily found in every grocery store all year round. It tastes great and usually contains only natural ingredients, so there is no reason not to buy it. The benefits and harms of squash caviar are indicated above, and you can see that the contraindications to its use are very small.
But why buy a finished product if you can make it yourself? Especially if you have your own crop of vegetables. You can cook yourself squash caviar for the winter. Its best recipes make it possible to make a delicious snack that is in no way inferior to a store one. Such a delicacy is very tasty for breakfast or dinner, spreading on pieces of brown bread. The recipe for zucchini caviar from seasonal zucchini requires the following components:
- 1 carrot;
- 2 onions;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- half a chili pepper;
- 3 zucchini;
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil;
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste;
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar;
- 1 teaspoon of sugar;
- 2 tablespoons tea salts.
Cooking a delicious appetizer
Peel onions, garlic and carrots. Remove the seeds from the chili peppers. Cut the onion into crescent-shaped slices, cut the carrots in circles, chop the garlic and chili.
Cut the zucchini into round slices. Oil a large baking sheet. Put zucchini circles on it in one layer. Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees. Place a baking sheet with slices of vegetables in it and bake for thirty minutes. Place the baked zucchini in a colander, press on them with a spoon to remove excess fluid.
While the zucchini is in the oven, prepare other vegetables. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and pepper, fry over low heat for one minute. Then put the carrots and cook for another two minutes.
Then add onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another ten minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Put the tomato paste, sugar, salt and vinegar, mix well and remove from heat.
Mash the baked zucchini and fried vegetables with a blender. Serve cold caviar to the table. According to the above recipe, you will get 700 ml of ready-made snacks. If you want to keep this delicious zucchini caviar for the winter, put it in a cleaned jar, close the lid and sterilize in a water bath.