Author: Vafa ZEYNALOVA Baku
Autumn is a time for gathering the gifts of vegetable patches in allotments and country cottage gardens.This period when the wealth of natural vegetables allows us to conjure up not only products to store for the coming winter, but also delicious dishes that can be proudly served at festive times in October. In every home, in every region and in every country they have vegetables and produce that are favourites in autumn. In Azerbaijan these are aubergines and peppers.
The blackish mauve beauty
Aubergines [or eggplants] are native to the Middle East, Southern Asia and India. Aubergines first started to be cultivated in those areas more than 1,500 years ago, as evidenced in ancient Sanskrit written texts. This vegetable began to become widespread thanks to the Arabs who took aubergines to Africa in the 9thcentury. Europeans first learned about aubergines in the mid-15th century, but it was not until later, in the 19th century that they began to be cultivated.
Although aubergines do not contain hardly any vitamins, they do possess all the microelements needed by the human body: dry substances 7.1-11 per cent; sugars - 2.72-4 per cent; proteins - 0.6-1.4 per cent; as well as calcium, potassium, iron salts and carotene and a large amount of group B vitamins. The vegetables are rich in cellulose. What is more, all the nutrient properties are preserved, irrespective of whether you cook dishes from aubergines or conserve them.
There is nothing harmful about fresh aubergines, but it is better not to eat over-ripe ones, since the alkaloid solanin [glucoside] will have built up in them, a sufficiently toxic substance which can cause diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, intestinal colic, convulsions and dyspnea. If you do happen to get solanin poisoning, then an antidote to it is milk, egg white and pureed soups.
Aubergines' most beneficial property is that they are low-calorie and fill you up quickly; they will certainly assist you in your battle with overweight. At the same time, pectin and a number of other valuable microelements rid the body of toxins and stop cholesterol from being absorbed.
Another irreplaceable element that aubergines contain is potassium. It improves the working of the heart and rids the body of fluid. Aubergines are useful as an additional remedy in treating atheroschlerosis, anaemia and gout. They are particularly good for the elderly since they help to combat osteochondritis and strengthen the bones.
One hundred grams of raw aubergine only contains 24 kilocalories. When cooked appropriately, daily consumption of aubergines will make it possible for you to lose 5-7 kg in weight per month. Aubergines are also good for pregnant women, since they contain iron and copper, which improve the process of haematosis and boost immunity. On the whole, it is best to braise or roast aubergines, since fried aubergines absorb oil and are hard to digest. Thanks to the potassium in the aubergine, the body's fluid balance is restored and the working of the heart improves.
In the East aubergines are called "longevity vegetables". Thanks to their potassium salt content, which has a beneficial effect on the working of the heart, elderly people and those suffering from cardio-vascular diseases are recommended to eat them. You are advised to go on an aubergine diet if your metabolism is disrupted, in particular when you are suffering from gout. Aubergines help to combat liver, kidney and gastro-intestinal tract diseases, and help to relieve constipation.
The irreplaceable "Bulgarian pepper"
The Bulgarian pepper is one of the oldest vegetables and dates back more than 9,000 years. It came to Europe from Central America at the end of the 15th century and "found its way" into Turkey via Spain and Portugal, and later "moved" to the territory of today's Bulgaria. It is no accident that we call it Bulgarian pepper, unlike in Bulgaria itself where it is simply referred to as sweet pepper. It is precisely thanks to the work of the Bulgarian plant breeders, whose efforts have led to the development of the large, sweet peppers [also known as bell peppers], that it got its name. The pepper has probably become popular thanks to the fact that for centuries now it has grown and been cultivated in the warmest and most fertile nooks on Earth, feeding on all the energy of the sun.
The Bulgarian pepper has a long history. It was originally used for medicinal purposes to treat anything ranging from anaemia to dizziness and asthma. It was only much later that people began to realise that it tastes good. There is simply no substitute for the Bulgarian pepper in numerous dishes. First and foremost, it is nutritious because of its high vitamin C content, of which there is higher than even that of lemons. It only has less vitamin C than rosehips and blackcurrants.
The pepper fortifies the blood vessels thanks to its ascorbic acid and vitamin P. Provitamin A boosts hair growth and has a positive effect on sight and skin condition. It is also good for people suffering from depression and diabetes. Vitamin B1, B2, B6 and PP help to combat the factors causing depression, which result in memory deterioration, insomnia and lack of energy. Vitamin P which one rarely comes across, makes it easier to absorb ascorbic acid, so the pepper best assistants us in having a healthy heart and blood vessels.The fact is that it makes the walls of the blood vessels more elastic, while the vitamin C "cleanses" them of cholesterol patches. This combination is very effective, since regular consumption of peppers lowers your risk of having a stroke by 46 per cent. You only need to eat one large pepper per day to ensure that your body satisfies its daily needs in vitamin C.
Peppers also contain mineral salts of potassium and sodium, as well as iodine, phosphorus, iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium. Altogether, they lessen the risk of anaemia and boost immunity. Peppers also improve the working of the gastro-intestinal tract and the pancreas thanks to the alkaloid capsaicin. Ointments and capsicum plasters have long been produced from Bulgarian peppers to treat lumbago [radiculitis], neuralgia and arthritis.
It is true that peppers do have some harmful properties. People suffering from hypertension, ischaemia and disrupted heart beat are not advised to eat peppers. The same applies to people suffering from gastric ulcers, gastritis and hyperacidity. Peppers can also make kidney and liver diseases worse. They are not good for people with haemorrhoids, afflicted by epilepsy and heightened excitability of the central nervous system. The reason for this is that Bulgarian peppers are rich in ethereal oils and have coarse cellulose; in some cases it can be beneficial (especially for cleansing the bowel) and in other cases it can, on the contrary, be harmful.
But in general and on the whole it can be said that Bulgarian peppers are more beneficial than harmful. You just need to remember about the above-mentioned illnesses when you eat them.
The climate in Azerbaijan is highly suitable for growing peppers and aubergines. Very good aubergines even grow on the Abseron peninsula. "Abseron aubergines are very tasty, especially the ones from Buzovna [near Baku]which are large and almost round,"says gardener Latifa Zeynalova. "This sort is very good in hot weather, although it is not suitable for making stuffed vegetables or kebabs." She says that the local peppers are also particularly delicious. Aubergines and peppers do not grow well in the dry air of mountain or hilly areas; they prefer the moist climate of the plains. True, they need the soil to be well fertilised, so small amounts of organic fertiliser need to be added to the soil.
STUFFED AUBERGINES, TOMATOES AND PEPPERS
Ingredients (serves two):
Meat (lamb or beef) - 500 g
Onion - 1
Butter - 100 g
Aubergines - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Sweet peppers - 2
Parsley
Coriander
Mint
Black pepper
Salt
Stuffed vegetables are a traditional Azerbaijani dish. The stuffed vegetables can not only be braised, but also roasted in the oven. They are quick and fairly easy to prepare. The stuffed vegetables are very filling, but at the same time light.
Wash the meat and mince it with the peeled onion. Season the mince with salt and pepper and fry it lightly in the butter. After the mince has been fried, add the chopped herbs. Cut the stalk off the aubergine, make cuts in the aubergine and leave it for one hour to allow the bitter juice to be released. Wash the pepper and cut off the top so it forms a kind of lid, remove the seeds and season with salt. Treat the tomatoes in the same way. Stuff the mince mixture into the aubergines, peppers and tomatoes and place them in a casserole. Add butter, salt and half a glass of water and braise the stuffed vegetables in the closed casserole until they are cooked. The stuffed vegetables can be served with a sauce of buttermilk and garlic seasoned with salt and ground black pepper. The stuffed vegetables can be eaten hot or cold.
SALTED PEPPERS
Ingredients:
A bucket of water (10 litres)
2 glasses of salt
Approximately 5 kg of peppers
Large, thick-skinned fleshy green or yellowish peppers should be selected. Tap water can be used for the pickling solution. There is no need to boil it. The peppers should be salted in a ceramic vessel. An enamelled vessel is unsuitable as the salt eats into the enamel and the saucepan or container begins to rust.
SALTED AUBERGINES
Ingredients:
Small aubergines - 6 or 7
Garlic - 1 or 2 cloves
Bay leaf or celery leaf
Salt - half a teaspoon
FOR THE PICKLING SOLUTION:
Salt - 5 tablespoons
Water - 2 litres
Wash the small aubergines in cold water, and cut off their stalks. Place them in boiling, salted water and boil a little bit. Then flatten them under a press to squeeze out the water. Then tightly pack the aubergines into a jar. The bottom of the jar should be lined with bay leaves and the aubergines mixed with garlic crushed with salt before packing them into the jar and covering them with boiled, cooled pickling solution. Seal the jar with a lid and leave the aubergines for a week to ferment. After that, store the jar of aubergines in a cool place(the temperature should notbe more than 5-8 degrees).
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