Spicy marinated eggplants with garlic and herbs

For pickling, choose slightly underripe eggplants; overripe eggplants, as mentioned above, can be unsafe and no longer beneficial. Look at the skin color—the darker it is, the better the flavor.

By the way, eggplants keep well for up to 6 months when frozen or dried, and there is no need to defrost them before cooking.

Wash the eggplants thoroughly under running water and trim the stems. We won't peel them, as we want the fruit to be whole pieces in the dish, not overcooked. There's no need to soak them first to remove the bitterness; it will completely disappear during cooking.

Carefully cut the eggplant into small cubes and place them in a saucepan. You can cut them into strips, slices, or rounds—it's up to you.

Heat water and pour it over the eggplants. Add a little salt (this will help remove the unpleasant bitterness).

Place the pan with chopped fruits on low heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Carefully drain the liquid from the pan through a colander, leaving the eggplant cubes in the colander briefly to drain. Transfer the cubes to an enamel (or stainless steel) bowl.

Wash the dill and chop finely.

We clean the garlic cloves and press them through a garlic press.

Pour water and vinegar into a separate container. Add sugar, salt, and pepper.

Add sunflower oil. It's best to use refined oil, but olive oil can be substituted. Mix everything thoroughly.

Pour the resulting marinade over the eggplants, adding garlic and dill.

The bowl should be tightly wrapped with film to prevent air from entering. You can transfer the dish to a food container and cover it with a lid.

After an hour, you can try the dish! Its flavor will be very delicate and subtle, but if you let the eggplant sit longer, it will be more intense.

The dish should be stored in the refrigerator.

Be healthy!