Ajika: calories, useful properties and contraindications

Ajika is a spicy spice made of Abkhazian pepper, garlic and various spices. Thus, in the southern cuisine ajika is added to hot and meat dishes, even a melon is flavored with it. According to legend, this delicacy appeared thousands of years ago, when not everyone could afford to add salt to food. In the mountain regions to this day is made such a spice by the ancient method - by grinding all the ingredients, dried in the sun, two stones.

Ajika is characterized by many useful qualities that are known to many. It is prepared using natural components, so it can harm the human body only in exceptional cases.

Composition and calories

Every year, scientists discover more and more new medicinal properties of hot pepper. In addition to the high concentration of ascorbic acid in these vegetables, they also contain a strong antibiotic of natural origin - capsacin. The spicier the pepper, the higher its content of this substance. Periodic inclusion of such a vegetable in the diet helps to improve the activity of all organs, strengthening the nails and hair growth. The spicy fruit contains alkaloids that provide a better digestion of food, and some of its components even help relieve stress and stimulate hematopoiesis.

Another ingredient that is used to give adjika a bright taste and aroma is considered cilantro. This product speeds up the metabolic processes, has anthelmintic properties, has wound healing, choleretic, antitumor effects. This component also helps to cope with swelling, helping to remove excess fluid from the body.

Garlic, without which it is also impossible to imagine such a dish, is a natural antiviral agent. In addition, such a plant rid the body of staphylococcus and dysentery bacillus. Garlic also helps to destroy harmful yeast fungus and cleanse the blood vessels.

All these components of ajika not only make a delicious and flavorful condiment, but also benefit the human body. Only natural ingredients are used for making ajika. In this lies its value.

Depending on the composition, there are vitamins A, E and PP in adzhika. Among minerals there are iodine, zinc, iron, magnesium, sodium and others.

This seasoning has a low caloric value. For example, 100 grams of dressing contains only 55-60 kcal, which makes it possible to use it even when keeping to a diet. The same amount of adjika contains about 2 g of protein, about 8 g of carbohydrates and about 3 g of fat.

What is useful for ajika

General benefits

Ajika is characterized by many beneficial qualities that have a positive effect on the human body, strengthening it. This is provided by the valuable properties possessed by the natural ingredients in the composition of the spice. Thus, it stimulates the appetite, has a beneficial effect on digestive processes, regulates metabolism. In addition, such a product has a warming effect, strengthens the protective function of the body, acts as an antiviral and bactericidal agent. Also such a delicacy is able to clean blood vessels from cholesterol deposits.

Ajika is considered to be an excellent remedy that can help improve your health when you have a cold. The constituents of this product help to increase energy potential.

For women

For the weaker sex, the product is useful because it has a beneficial effect on digestion processes, as well as providing metabolic regulation. This allows it to be used in food even when following a diet that is designed to reduce weight. Also such a dressing helps to relieve emotional stress, improves the performance of internal organs. In addition, the components of the seasoning stimulate hair growth and strengthen the nail plates.

For men

Sexual impotence in the representatives of the stronger sex occurs with stagnant processes in the pelvic area. Since in this part the blood circulation is disturbed, the genitals do not get the necessary amount of blood, which provokes the potency disorders. Ajika has a positive effect on the circulatory system, helps to clear vessels of dangerous cholesterol plaques, which leads to the normalization of blood flow.

According to sexologists, Abkhazian sauce increases libido and increases the duration of intercourse. But in order to achieve this effect, it is not necessary to eat the seasoning in pure form by spoonfuls. It is enough to regularly add such a dressing in small quantities to the main dishes.

When pregnant

During the period of carrying a fetus, a woman is contraindicated the use of such a product. Any spicy spice can provoke premature delivery or even become the cause of miscarriage.

When breastfeeding

Moms during lactation should also not consume this sauce. It can harm the still fragile body of the child.

For children

The gastrointestinal tract in children does not work the same way as an adult. The use of ajika by a child whose digestive system is not fully formed, can lead to a metabolic disorder, and also become the cause of the development of pathologies of the digestive tract. Therefore, children under the age of 12 should not be given such a spicy seasoning.

When losing weight

As is known, ajika stimulates the appetite. This has been proved on sheep. In this case, salt and pepper were mixed and given to the animals, as a result of which they ate intensively and gained weight. But at the same time, this sauce helps to speed up digestion. Therefore, food eaten with ajika is quickly digested without turning into fatty deposits. Consequently, the product's ability to whet the appetite is compensated by an improvement in material metabolism and cannot act as a negative characteristic of the dressing.

The dish is low in calories. It has a negligible protein content and does not lead to building muscle mass. Such a seasoning can be used in a diet for weight loss.

Ajika is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, so it can be used even in the diet of people with diabetes.

Harm and contraindications

Despite all the positive qualities of the product, adjika still has a specific and spicy taste. For this reason, its consumption in some cases can only harm the body. So, this sauce is contraindicated in case of acute renal and liver failure. Gastrointestinal diseases are also a restriction to the use of the delicacy. In the case of gastritis, colitis or ulcers, adjika can only aggravate the condition of the patient, since as a result there will be irritation of the mucous membranes of the organs of the digestive tract.

With pathologies of the cardiovascular system you should also avoid adjika. It is good for the heart and blood vessels only if they are not affected by various pathologies. In other situations it can cause serious harm.

Hot peppers can raise blood pressure, so hypertensive people should better abandon this sauce or minimize its use.

Pregnant women, young mothers, as well as children under 12 years should also not use in food such a product.

You should not violate the above recommendations and risk your health.

How to store ajika properly

Ready adzhika should be stored in a cold place, preferably in the refrigerator. However, often hostesses complain that sometimes such a product is stored even less than a month. Such early fermentation can be caused by getting raw water or dirt in the sauce, or by using low-quality vegetables.

In raw form, the dish is much tastier, and cooking it is much easier, but in this case, special attention should be paid to the preparation of vegetables and greens used, namely, washing and drying them. Grits can remain in the sinuses of the leaves. If there are doubts about the shelf life of the dressing, it is recommended to add a few tablets of acetylsalicylic acid - at the rate of 1 tablet of aspirin per 1 liter of seasoning. Also as a preservative you can use vinegar or vodka.

Ajika can be stored in plastic bottles. Before corking them you should pour a little sunflower oil for preservation.

If you want to preserve the sauce without refrigeration, it is recommended to boil it thoroughly and for a long time before unpacking it in sterile containers. This procedure will increase the shelf life of the product.

Can it be frozen?

To increase the storage period of adjika, you can use freezing in the freezer. Further defrosting should be carried out in the refrigerator.

With this method of storage, several options can be used. For example, you can pour the adjika into bottles and freeze it that way. Then the day before use it should be placed in the refrigerator, where it defrosts. You can also freeze this sauce in small portions by pouring the mass into silicone molds. The frozen product can then be placed in a bag and stored in the freezer.

Such methods will help to keep vegetable sauce fresh even in winter.

How to cook ajika: recipes

To diversify the taste of even the simplest dishes, various seasonings and sauces are used. One of these sauces is adjika. It can be used with side dishes and meat dishes. Nowadays such a dish is made using a variety of products, which allows obtaining a unique taste. Every people of the Caucasus, and every housewife in particular, has their own secrets for preparing such a delicacy. Therefore, no matter what ingredients are used, the ajika turns out terrific. The main feature of the seasoning is still the spiciness.

With tomatoes

So, the simplest variant of preparation of adzhika consists of several components. Such a variant would be suitable for meat dishes or pasta. To prepare the product you will need 2 kg of tomato fruits, 1 kg of bell peppers, 2 hot peppers, 100 g of garlic and the same amount of sugar, 1 tbsp of table salt, half a cup of vegetable oil and the same amount of vinegar.

First you need to wash the products. Tomatoes are divided into four parts. Peel the sweet bell pepper from seeds and stalks and cut into strips, the bitter one - arbitrarily. Peel the garlic.

Next, chop the vegetables in a blender. You can also use a meat grinder. Put the obtained mass in a bowl and put on low heat for 40-45 minutes. During this time, you can prepare a container by sterilizing it.

10 minutes before cooking, add sugar and salt, as well as oil and vinegar. 5 minutes before turning off, add the garlic component. The sauce is ready, it can be poured into sterile containers and sealed with lids.

From zucchini

Ingredients: 0.4 kg of young zucchini, 0.3 kg of tomatoes, 2 bell peppers, 0.5 tsp. ground red and black pepper, 6 garlic cloves, 1 tsp. salt, 40 ml of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil (you can use an olive analogue). The above amount of products will be about 600 ml of ajika.

First, you need to wash the vegetables, remove their seeds and stalks, and mince them in a meat grinder. Pour the chopped mixture into a cauldron and put it on the stove. After boiling, reduce the heat to minimum and simmer for about half an hour until about a third of the liquid evaporates. Then add the pressed garlic, black and red pepper and salt. Lastly, pour in the vinegar and oil. Now simmer the sauce for another 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. Pack the hot ajika into sterile jars and seal them. After cooling, put it in the pantry for long-term storage.

Gooseberry

A very simple recipe for making ajika is a sauce using gooseberries. To make such a delicacy, you will need 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, half a pod of chili pepper, 1 bell bell pepper, 3 cups of gooseberries, a head of garlic, basil, as well as herbs and salt to taste.

The process of making is to prepare all the ingredients. That is, first it is necessary to wash everything, remove debris, twigs, seeds. Greens thoroughly rinse, so that no dirt is left on the leaves. All components are chopped in the bowl of a blender, and then add spices to taste.

Alycha

Alycha is also a product that is used in the preparation of ajika. For this you need to prepare 700 grams of fruit, 2 bell peppers, 2 tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 2 onions, 1 head of garlic, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 tsp. salt and 0.5 tsp. coriander seeds. From this amount of ingredients you get a liter of sauce.

Wash all the ingredients, remove the husks, seeds and pips. Alycha cut into two parts and put them in a saucepan. Tomatoes are cut into 4 pieces, onions are also finely chopped. Bulgarian pepper and garlic cut into pieces. Next, all ingredients mix and grind with a blender.

Now, grind coriander using a mortar, and then pour the resulting powder into a saucepan. In the same place add sugar and salt. To accurately determine the required amount of sugar, you need to taste the dish in its raw form. If the used alycha is sweet, the dressing will not be sour, then 2 spoons of sugar will be enough. Not too sweet fruits will require more sweetener.

Cook the adjika on medium heat for 15-20 minutes with the lid open. The mixture will eventually darken and become thicker. It is not necessary to remove the foam at this time. If it appears you should stir the mass with a wooden spatula.

Serve the prepared adjika only when it has cooled completely. The dish according to this recipe is not intended for long storage, as there is no vinegar and very little salt. You can store such a product in the refrigerator for no more than three months.

From parsley

There are quite a few ways to prepare ajika using parsley. It is used as a paste in the preparation of sandwiches. The product in this case does not need to be sterilized, long storage of adzhika is provided by the spicy vegetable and garlic mass. If family members prefer spicy sauce, the seeds of the culture can not be removed. The greens should be well washed and then dried.

So, we need 1 kg of parsley, 0.5 kg of dill greens, 2 kg of sweet and 16 pieces of hot peppers, 0.4 kg of garlic, a cup of vinegar, 4 tbsp of salt and 8 tbsp of sugar. Chop the herbs, peel the peppers and garlic. These ingredients should be chopped to a mushy consistency. Dress the ready mixture with vinegar, as well as salt and sweeten. Now stir the mass thoroughly and place it in containers for storage. Keep such a product in the refrigerator.

From black currant

Ajika can be used not only with meat dishes, but also with sausage products, as well as when making homemade pizza. For example, you can prepare ajika with black currants.

You will need 0.5 kg of currants, 1 tsp. coriander, 5 g peppercorns, the same amount of paprika, 3 tbsp. sugar, half a chili pepper and 30g of salt.

The cooking process begins by boiling the black currants for 20 minutes over low heat. Then add peppers and sugar, as well as pepper, paprika and coriander. Boil the adjika for another 10 minutes until it becomes thick. After that, put the ready sauce in disinfected containers and twist.

From green peppers

To prepare a seasoning of green peppers with garlic, you need to prepare 0.5 kg of green bell peppers, 1 hot green pepper, 50 g of garlic, 3 tbsp. sugar, 0.5 tbsp. salt and a few spoons of apple cider vinegar.

Cut the bell peppers into two pieces and remove the seeds. Regarding the hot peppers, you can remove the seeds or leave them, then the sauce will be spicier. Peel the garlic too.

If using a food processor, process the vegetables, using a "metal knife". The resulting billet is placed in a saucepan, mix with the remaining components and stir once again. The formation of foam should not be embarrassing. After two hours of storing the product at room conditions, the foam will settle.

Prepare the jars in advance, boil them and dry them thoroughly. Pour the adjika into a dry container and seal it. Store such dressing on the coldest shelf of the refrigerator for several months.

Beet

Beet Ajika can be spread on bread, served with fish and meat, seasoned with pasta, potatoes or pizza. To make it you will need 2 kg of beets, 1 cup of garlic, 2 cups of vegetable oil, 3 kg of ripe tomatoes, 150 ml of vinegar, 1.2 kg of red bell pepper, 50 grams of salt and 6 pieces of hot chili pepper.

To begin, rinse and dry the components. Remove the seeds and stalks from the pepper, peel the beet and garlic.

Chop the beet with a meat grinder. Mashed potato tomatoes and peppers in any convenient way. Chop the garlic in a garlic masher or grate it on a fine grater. The amount of garlic is not recommended to reduce, because it acts as a preservative and helps to preserve the product for a long time.

Now pour the oil into the container. If you use olive oil instead of sunflower oil, the product will be more useful. Add the beets in the oil and stew for 15 minutes. After that, enter the chopped tomatoes, stir and stew for another 10 minutes with the lid closed. Next, add bell peppers. After that, stew the mixture for about 5 minutes under a closed lid.

Then add mashed garlic and chili peppers. After that, cook the mixture for another 6-7 minutes.

At the end of cooking, salt the ajika, pour sugar and mix thoroughly. Pour the finished seasoning in jars and close with lids. Invert the jars and leave to cool. Store such preserves in a cool place. At a temperature of 2-4 degrees Ajika can be stored for 2 years, if the temperature is higher, the shelf life is reduced to 1 year.

With plums

To prepare plum adjika, prepare 1 kg of plums, 2 chili pods (hot peppers), 100 g of garlic, 2 tbsp. red tomato sauce, 1 tbsp. salt and 2 tbsp. sugar.

First, peel the fruit from the seeds and the peppers from the seeds. Next, chop these components and send them to boil over low heat, mixing with tomato sauce, while constantly removing the foam. From the moment of boiling, cook the mass for another half an hour, after which the dish is seasoned with the remaining ingredients. Next, simmer the mixture for about 5 more minutes, and then add the garlic mixture.

After three minutes the dish can be tasted. If the sauce is very sour, add a little more sugar, if it is sweet, you can adjust the taste by adding vinegar or citric acid. You can even use lemon juice in this case. If now the taste of the dressing is satisfactory, pour into the prepared jars and close with a metal lid.

Armenian-style

Ingredients: 3 kg ripe tomatoes, 3 kg sweet peppers, 6 chili pods (seeds are also used), 3 garlic heads, 1 bunch each of coriander, mint and parsley with basil, 50 g chambala, 1 tbsp coriander and 50 g each of sugar and salt.

In this recipe, tomatoes take the longest to cook, so you should start with them. The fruits of this culture should be washed, passed through a meat grinder and put on the stove to stew until the liquid evaporates. While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare both types of peppers. Remove the stalks and seeds from sweet peppers and remove only the stems from hot peppers. Rinse the herbs thoroughly and pat them dry. Finely chop the peeled garlic. Pass the herbs and peppers through a meat grinder. Next, mix all the ingredients with the tomato mass. Cook the stuff for 10-15 minutes. At the last turn add garlic. When hot, spread the sauce into sterile jars, seal and leave until completely cooled.

The dish without heat treatment is stored only in the refrigerator. It can retain its flavor for 3-4 months. If the adjika was exposed to thermal treatment, it can be kept in the cellar or at room temperature. The shelf life of such a dressing is 7-8 months.

Dry adjika

To make dry adjika one should put 1.5 kilos of hot pepper on a thread and dry it. Then add 2 large cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of dried coriander, 1.5 tablespoons of salt to the dried pepper. Also wash and dry the jars and prepare gloves to work so as not to burn your hands.

Immerse the peppers in warm water for an hour, then drain and refill the liquid. After 60 minutes, peel the garlic and drain the water from the burning component. Then mince the garlic and pepper in a meat grinder, add the coriander and salt. If you wish, you can add a glass of walnuts, which should be chopped in a blender beforehand. Ready adjika only needs to be placed in containers and placed in a cool room.

In a multicooker

Ajika can be made with the help of a multicooker according to the following recipe. Of the components you need to prepare 2 kg of tomatoes, 1 kg of sweet peppers, 150 g of garlic, several pods of hot peppers, depending on the spiciness that you need to get, 3 tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp of salt, 100 ml of vegetable oil and 70 ml of vinegar with a concentration of 9 percent.

Since the tucking is prepared for the winter, you must first sterilize the container. To do this, you can also use this technique. In this case, the jars are processed on steam. The lids are also thoroughly washed.

The process of making ajika by this method is quite simple. More time is spent on processing the vegetables. Wash the tomatoes and peppers, remove the seeds and stems from the latter. Cut peppers into small pieces. For chopping, use a blender or meat grinder. You can chop these vegetables together. In the resulting mixture, add oil and salt and sugar, stir. Put the bowl of the multicooker in place and then stew the mass in the appropriate mode with the lid closed. The cooking time is 90 minutes. At the same time, it is necessary to constantly stir the preparation for ajika.

While the tomato-pepper mixture is stewing, prepare the garlic and hot pepper. Garlic is simply peeled from the husk. The second hot ingredient is cut in two and remove the seeds. It is advisable to use gloves when doing this, so as not to get burns or allergies. If this happens, it is recommended to take an antihistamine.

Depending on taste preferences, select the amount of such hot peppers. If you want to get not too spicy dressing, one pod will be enough, but if you want to make a more spicy sauce, you can add more spicy vegetable. But it is better to try the dish all the time, so as not to overdo it.

Garlic and pepper also grind in the bowl of a blender until you get a pulp. After an hour and a half of stewing, add the mixture of hot products, vinegar and mix. Next, continue stewing for another 15-20 minutes. The lid does not need to be closed. This is done to let the excess liquid evaporate, and the sauce becomes thick.

Taste the ready dish and add sugar or salt, if necessary. Pour hot ajika into sanitized jars and seal with lids. It is recommended to leave the jars in a warm place until they are completely cooled. Then take it to a cool place, where it can be stored for almost 2 years. From this amount of products comes out a liter and a half of delicious dressing.

Photo of ajika