Bulgarian lutenitz, the recipe of which in the classic version contains only pepper and tomatoes, is a traditional sauce that can be preserved for the winter or cooked just like that, for a single use. In the old days, when there were no blenders and other household appliances, the dish looked a little different than now. Previously, lutenitz, the recipe of which was handed down from generation to generation, was a kind of vegetable caviar, so every component was felt in it. Now, thanks to grinding the mass with a combine or blender, many make a homogeneous mass with the consistency of the sauce. But there are housewives who prefer to cook this dish in the old-fashioned way.
Lutenitsa: a recipe from the pastIn this form, the sauce is suitable for both canning and consumption immediately after cooking. In the latter case, it is better to store it in the refrigerator. For 1.5 kg of bell pepper (it is better to take red, then the dish will turn out to be of a uniform color) you will need several hot peppers, a couple of carrots and a kilogram of fresh tomatoes. You will also need salt, vegetable oil, sugar and a bunch of parsley. In some cases, eggplant is still added, but the original recipe does not provide for the use of this component. For the specified number of products you will need 2 pieces of blue ones.
From these ingredients you will get a “test” lutenitz (the recipe should be tried and then (if necessary) slightly changed to your taste). If you prepare the sauce for the winter, then each of the products should be taken 5-10 times more, while maintaining the proportion.
Before you cook lute, you need to remove the skin from the tomatoes, dousing them with boiling water, and bake the peppers (both sweet and hot) until the black skin (which is also removed) in the oven or on the stove (in the old days this was done on the stove). Then the vegetables are cleaned from seeds.
Next, they take a meat grinder (you can use an electric one) and tomatoes are passed through it, pouring the resulting mass into a deep dish. Then - already in another container - grind pepper and eggplant (the skin is not removed from the latter). Peel the carrots, grate them on a medium or large grater and add to the rest of the vegetables.
The tomato mixture is placed on the stove for maximum heat, cooked for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally and without reducing it. The mass should evaporate approximately 2 times. After that, the remaining vegetables are transferred to it and brought to a boil. Reduce the fire, pour in about half a glass of oil, add sugar and salt to taste and leave for another hour, stirring constantly, so as not to burn.
Lutenitz readiness is checked using a wooden spatula, from which a groove should remain on the surface of the dish after holding. If it converges, you need to continue cooking. Before removing the container from the fire, add chopped parsley to it, stir it and bring it to a boil again. If the luten was prepared just for food, then it can be served on the table. If as a preform, then the mass is transferred to clean jars, sterilized for about 20 minutes, and then closed.
UseThis sauce can be used in different ways. In Bulgaria, they just eat it with a spoon with bread and feta cheese, make sandwiches, and also serve with meatballs, kebabs and other meat dishes. In principle, lutenitz can be used in pizza and pies. During fasting, it is used simply with a side dish, in order to somehow diversify the diet.
Lutenitz recipe with feta cheese
In this sauce variation, cheese is added to traditional Bulgarian vegetables. It turns out pretty juicy and tasty, but such a recipe will not work for preparation. To the ingredients from the previous version, you need to add a head of garlic and 300 g of feta cheese. But it is better to refuse hot pepper. Such lutenitsa is prepared in the same way as usual, adding at the very end along with greens brynza, grated on a coarse grater. It is usually served warm with bread or potatoes.