Giuvech - Vegetable Casserole

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Easy on tummy: very
Budget: small to medium

Dairy-free, gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians

Preparation:10min  ›  Cook: 50-60 min 

Here is another Bulgarian recipe(with Turkish name!)which I remember with fondness from my childhood. Imagine freshly dug-out-of-your-grandmother's-garden-vegetables, prepared with love by a woman whose whole existence revolves around cooking yummies in the kitchen. Every time I prepare this dish, I'm transported home.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tbsp paprika
• 3-4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 bunch of parsley (the more the better)
• 3 medium onions
• 3 medium tomatoes or good Italian chopped tomatoes
• 2 red peppers
• 1 aubergine
• 1 small courgette
• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 carrot
• 2 tsp salt
• black pepper

Method of preparation:

For this recipe you will require a ceramic pot in order to do the oven roasting. I use a Creuset pot which needs to be slowly heated to avoid damaging the ceramics coating.

Chop all of the vegetables in cubes or small pieces. Preheat the oven to 120-150 degrees.

Put the sunflower oil and the paprika in a deep pan and let it heat. Add the onions and gently stir fry on low heat for 2 mins. Add the pepper, aubergine, courgette and stir for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir for further 2 mins, then add the potatoes and the carrots. The point is to slightly soften them and coat them well in the oil and paprika before you roast them.

Add all of the chopped parsley in the roasting pot with one water glass (200ml). Add the vegetables into the pot (if you haven't already used it on the hob), salt and pepper. 

Bake for about 10 minutes on this lower temperature to ease the pot into the heat and after that turn to 200 degrees and bake for further 40-45 mins. Occasionally check the mixture and stir! 

A very simple dish to make, it just takes a bit of time to cook! It should have a really sweet and earthy flavour from the paprika and the peppers.

Добър апетит! (Or have a nice apetite in Bulgarian!)