Tag: Outdoor cooking

Courgette GrillFest

24 July 2024

With the rain finally relenting here in Almaty, Kazakhstan, it’s time to hit the great outdoors for the BBQ season. Courgettes, zucchini to our North American friends, are in their prime at the moment and this versatile vegetable makes a great addition to a barbecue platter.

One thing about courgettes is that they contain a lot of liquid, so before cooking you can remove some of the excess by cutting the courgette into two slices down the middle and then use a knife to cut diagonals into the fleshy side. Sprinkle with salt and leave for 30 minutes then squeeze out the excess liquid.

Pour some olive oil over the courgette halves into the diagonal cuts and then cook on the grill, turning to brown both sides. These courgette slices can also be baked in a hot oven (180 c) for 30 minutes or fried in a pan until browned. We served them with some parboiled new potatoes, finished on the grill, and a slab of char-grilled halloumi. Add a green salad for a great outdoor meal.

Khorovats – Armenia’s Grilled Veg Star

27 May 2021

With the barbecue season in full swing, we’ve been sent this photo from a reader in Uzbekistan that reminded us that a while back we promised a recipe for Armenia’s favourite warm vegetable salad — khoravats, made from grilled aubergines, peppers and tomatoes.

Grilled veggies ready to be turned into khorovats

Khoravats is a fixture on the menu in many post-Soviet countries — it’s name comes from the Armenian verb khorovel, which simply means to grill. With an abundance of seasonal vegetables appearing in the markets and sunny days and long evenings (in Kazakhstan at least!), it’s time to fire up your grill and get making some khoravats.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sized aubergines (eggplants)
  • 3 medium-sized green peppers (bell peppers)
  • 3 medium-sized tomatoes
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 bunch parsley or coriander (cilantro)
  • 25 ml olive oil
  • Juice of one lemon

Method

  • Wash the vegetables and prick the aubergines with a fork in a few places (to stop them exploding!). Grill the vegetables until the skins start to char, then keep turning so that the whole vegetable is cooked evenly. The tomatoes will cook first, then the aubergines and peppers. Remove from the grill and put in a paper bag to cool down — this will make it easier to peel the vegetables.
  • After 15 minutes or so, remove from the bag and peel. Then chop into chunks and mix together in a big bowl. Dress the chunks with the olive oil and lemon juice and season with black pepper and then add the finely chopped onion, parsley or coriander (cilantro) and serve with flat bread warmed up on the grill.