Sataraš
Sataraš is one of those dishes every family in the Balkans makes a little differently, but the base is always the same: onion, peppers and tomatoes cooked down slowly in oil until they collapse into something between a stew and a sauce. Late summer food, when the tomatoes are heavy and the peppers are cheap.
This is my version. I add eggplant and zucchini. They aren’t traditional, but they give the dish a depth and a creaminess the classic doesn’t have. The eggplant melts into the tomatoes, the zucchini softens without disappearing. Once you’ve had it this way it’s hard to go back.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
Serves 4
- 1 large white onion, sliced
- 2 large bell peppers, sliced
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 1 eggplant, cubed
- 4 meaty tomatoes, cubed
- 3–4 tbsp oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- ¼–½ tsp smoked paprika
- A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
HOW TO MAKE SATARAŠ:
1.Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the onion until golden, don’t rush this, it’s where the sweetness comes from. Season with salt. Take the pan off the heat for a moment and stir in the smoked paprika; off the heat it blooms in the oil instead of burning.
2. Back on the heat. Add the peppers and cook for 3–4 minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add the eggplant with a pinch of salt, cover, and cook for 5–7 minutes. The lid matters — eggplant needs the steam to cook through evenly, and it drinks oil, so don’t be tempted to add more.
4. Add the zucchini, cover again, and cook another 5 minutes. It goes in after the eggplant on purpose, put them in together and the zucchini turns to mush before the eggplant is done.
5. Add the tomatoes and stir everything together.
6.Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Then simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the whole thing is thick and glossy.
7.Off the heat, stir in the fresh parsley.
Serving
Sataraš works as a side or as the main event. Serve it with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes and some kind of meat, grilled or pan-fried, whatever you have. Or skip all of that and eat it with fresh bread, straight from the pan.
Notes
- Better the next day: like most stews, it deepens overnight. Make it ahead if you can.
- Tomatoes: use the meatiest ones you can fin, watery tomatoes mean a longer reduction. If they’re on the thin side, give the final simmer a few extra minutes.
- Paprika: ¼ tsp is subtle, ½ tsp is noticeable. Start low if you’re not sure.
- Storage: keeps 3–4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stove.
Sataraš
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the onion until golden. Season with salt, take the pan off the heat and stir in the smoked paprika so it blooms without burning.
- Return to the heat, add the peppers and cook 3–4 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the eggplant with a pinch of salt, cover, and cook 5–7 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, cover again, and cook 5 more minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stir everything together.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy.
- Off the heat, stir in the fresh parsley.