Baltic lecho – a variant of the original preparation of sweet peppers and zucchini for the winter. Vegetables stewed in tomato with spices are very tasty and unusual.
Such lecho can be served at the table not only as a side dish or a delicious addition to meat, but also used as a sauce, for example, when making pizza. Thanks to the addition of a little starch to the preservation, the tomato sauce does not spread, but turns out to be slightly thick.
It should be noted that the Baltic lecho does not come out spicy, so if you like spicy preparations, then add chili peppers to it.
Ingredients:
- Zucchini – 1 kg.
- Bulgarian pepper – 0.75 kg.
- Tomatoes – 1.25 kg.
- Vegetable oil – 100 ml.
- Garlic – 100 g.
- 9% vinegar – 50 ml.
- Water – 15 ml.
- Starch – 7.5 g.
- Salt – 1 tbsp. l.
- Sugar – 100 g.
- Tomato paste – 35 g.
How to cook:
1. Wash ripe tomatoes, cut the stalk and twist (using a meat grinder or blender) into tomato puree. Pour the resulting tomato into a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then boil over high heat for 10 minutes.
2. While the tomato is cooking, prepare the bell pepper. Remove seeds from it, wash well and cut into medium pieces.
3. Zucchini (choose fruits that are not overripe, with soft skin) also wash and cut into medium cubes.
4. After the tomato puree boils for 10 minutes, add chopped sweet pepper to it.
5. Put the sliced zucchini into the pot next to the peppers. Thoroughly mix all the vegetables and boil the future lecho for 20 minutes over high heat so that the excess liquid that will form during the cooking of zucchini evaporates.
Do not forget to periodically stir the Baltic lecho so that the vegetables do not burn.
6. After 20 minutes, add garlic squeezed through a press, salt, vegetable oil, sugar and tomato paste to the vegetables. Stir the lecho and boil for another 10 minutes over high heat.
7. After 10 minutes, pour in 9% vinegar, and starch diluted in water. Stir, bring the Baltic lecho to a boil, and after it boils, boil for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Hot spread the appetizer in prepared sterile jars.
9. Then immediately roll up with iron lids.
10. Wrap the jars with the Baltic lecho, and after completely cooling, put them in the cellar for further storage.
Bon appetit!