This eggplant ikra recipe (or eggplant caviar) makes a delicious spread made from eggplants, onions, and a hint of tomato sauce. It’s a tasty side for any meal!
What Is Ikra?
Eggplant ikra is a spread made from twice-cooked eggplant, sauteéd onions, tomato sauce, and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. It is often served as an appetizer with a slice of toasted bread or as a side dish. The dish itself is so simple (with only five ingredients), but it is so delicious. Ikra has a mild but veggie-filled flavor, similar to that of cooked squash or zucchini.
Historically, ikra with eggplant was also known as “poor man’s caviar.” It is a very popular dish in Slavic households, where it is common for the cooks to be very creative at making different flavors of ikra depending on what ingredients are readily available and most affordable.
Hot tip: If you’re looking for a traditional ikra (or caviar) recipe, check out this caviar recipe made using fish roe (fish eggs).
How To Make Eggplant Spread
Making ikra is easy! All it takes is a baked eggplant, sauteéd onions, and a bit of cooking time. So — where’s that easy button?
- Bake the eggplant: Place sliced eggplant halves (flesh side down) on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F. Then, remove from them the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Gather all ingredients: Gather and prep all the remaining ingredients.
- Sauté the onion: Finely chop the onion and sauté in a pan with olive oil until the onions are golden brown.
- Remove the eggplant skin: Remove the skin from the eggplants and dice the flesh into small cubes.
- Combine the ingredients: Add the eggplant mixture and tomato sauce to the pan with onions. Stir, then cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Then, season to taste with salt and black pepper. Bring to room temperature and serve!
Hot tip: If the eggplant is hard to peel, place it into a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes, then try again. This traps the steam inside the bowl, making the veggie easier to peel.
Tips & Tricks
Ikra is crazy easy to make, so there aren’t many tricks to make sure it comes out right. However, here are our top three tips in case you want to change things up a little bit.
- Blend for a smoother ikra: If you prefer a smoother, more puree-like ikra, blend the cooked eggplant and sauteéd onions in a blender or food processor. Once smooth, add them back to the pan and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add in more veggies: Feel free to add in more steamed/cooked vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, red bell peppers, and garlic. For an herby addition, try a tablespoon of finely minced dill or parsley! With each addition, the flavor does change, so make sure you like the combinations you’re making!
- Substitute tomato sauce with paste: If you’re out of tomato sauce, use tomato paste instead. Tomato paste tends to have a stronger flavor, so plan to use a little less paste than sauce.
- Broil instead of sauté: If you like a more charred/smoky flavor, broil the eggplant and onions in the oven. However, be sure to still sauté the combined mixture at the end for 20 minutes.
Ways To Serve Ikra
Ikra is most often served warm or cold on a fresh slice of sourdough bread. Or, serve it in a bowl as a side on a cheese/charcuterie board alongside tortilla chips or pita chips. It is also delicious over braised beef short ribs or with pork roast.
Storing Eggplant Ikra Short Term
For best results, store the eggplant spread up to two weeks in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator. Avoid placing the spread in the freezer as the texture changes after thawing.
FAQ
Is eggplant ikra healthy?
Eggplant ikra is full of eggplants, onions, and other veggies that are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients such as potassium, vitamin c, and more. Plus — eggplant is known as a superfood as it is considered high-fiber but low-calorie.
What’s the difference between baba ganoush and ikra?
Baba ganoush is an eggplant based spread made with additional ingredients like tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and more. Ikra is also eggplant based, but it is most often made with only onions, tomato sauce/paste, peppers, and/or carrots.
Are aubergines and eggplants the same thing?
Yes, aubergines and eggplants are the same. English speakers tend to use the word “aubergine”, while those from North America most often use the word “eggplant.”
Is an eggplant a vegetable or a fruit?
Eggplants are actually considered a fruit since they grow from a flowering plant and have seeds. However, due to their flavor, they are often classified as a veggie.
How do you pronounce “ikra”?
Ikra is pronounced “ee-krah”.
Other Spreads & Dips To Try
- Spinach Artichoke Dip — Cheesy hot veggie dip
- Garlic Avocado Spread — 5-minute creamy avocado dip
- Vegetable Zucchini Spread Recipe — Slavic-style veggie dip
- Tzatziki Sauce — Greek yogurt & cucumber dip
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice eggplants into halves and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
- Finely chop onions. Sauté in an oiled skillet until they're golden brown.
- Remove skin from the eggplant and chop into tiny cubes.
- Add eggplant and tomato sauce to the pan with sauteéd onions. Cook on very low heat for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve ikra as an appetizer spread, or as a side dish.
Very tasty thank you for your delicious recipe
Hi Benita, My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hello Natalya.
This is my Armenian version of Ikra.
Grill eggplants, onion, tomatoes & a head of garlic on hot charcoals until blistered & charred (broiling would be fine too.) Peel, chop and cook down to your desired consistency. I usually add a serrano or jalapeño to the mix as well.
Բարի ախորժակ
приятного аппетита
Hi Ara- ahh that sounds so delicious! Thank you for sharing with us 😀
Thanks so much!! For this recipe!! Making second time!! It’s so delicious 😋
I am so glad you loved the recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment!
Thank you, love all your recipes and content. Just a tip, as I recently found out and changed all my cookware. Noticed you use foil and it is harmful to bake with, (studies linked with neurological effects) I replaced with unbleached Unwaxed parchment paper sheets. Also all nonstick cookware/bake ware is too, (just the fumes kill birds suddenly- you can find the studies ) “nonstick” aka “Teflon” was created by chemical weapons manufacturer DuPont. I replaced with cast iron (not enameled), 100% stainless steel, or my favorite clay (unglazed) as it infuses all food cooked with minerals from the clay each time.
Oh Lidia, I hope that you & the birds are neurologically fine. Yes, cast iron is the way to go, yet my 15-year-old parrot has never complained about my cooking. What we all need is more walks in nature.
Hi Lidia, thank you for sharing all your tips. I know this will be useful for many people. Have a great day!
Hi Natalya,
I remember my Mom making Ukranian Ikra and I think she used tomatoes and green peppers and she would grind all veggies in a meat grinder and then saute in oil. Is this a different version? Do you have a reipelike that? Please advise.
Thanks in advance
Halina
My Ukrainian mother made a version like that. It was approximately even amounts of chopped eggplant, green bell pepper, and onion. In place of tomato sauce, she would use the bottled chili sauce you find next to the ketchup in the grocery store. The chili sauce added a little spice, and it also included vinegar for tanginess. It sounds very similar to what you are looking for. But the veggies were just chopped, not put through the grinder.
Would that be ajvar? Was there vinegar added?
I am not familiar with that combination. The Ikra I grew up eating was with zucchini.
We have many Russian guests at our small hotel, I make homemade Kvas now, but I think this and the zuchinni vegetable spread would make a lovely welcome basket with some dark bread. What do you think??
Yes, for sure. You can make it in advance in large batches. Where is your hotel?
OMG I love that you roasted the eggplants! My mother in law makes eggplant ikra all the time but normally she sautees the eggplant in the skillet. This is such an easy alternative. Saving it.
Katya, I feel like it gets rid of some of the extra liquids when you pre-bake the eggplant. But skillet also works well 🙂
Ikra is seriously one of the most delicious things to spread on bread, well besides salted butter 😉 But for real, all those flavors are just so good, and so healthy!
Lol, I like that you compared Ikra to butter. 🙂
This eggplant caviar makes me think of hot summer days and eating outside. It looks absolutely delicious!
Yes, I agree with you. In the summer I love serving Ikra with some bomb grilled meats.
Been craving this dish for days now. Got the eggplant but no tomato sauce. Can I use fresh tomatoes? Maybe add some ketchup? Or would you recommend sticking to the recipe?
You can use tomatoes but keep it in higher heat to evaporate the juices.
Thanks Natalya, I waited till I got the tomatoe sauce, and it was worth the wait. Made twice already! It's perfect!
Perfect, I am so glad you loved it 🙂
Made this yesturday. This is so yummy!! My family loooves egg plant spread. I have been looking for an easy good recipe. This is defiantly it! Thank You so much for sharing!
This makes me so happy! I am glad you guys loved it!
Yum! Will have to try. Do you know any brands it compares to?
Trader Joe’s Carrie’s a delightful eggplant garlic spread in glass jars. It’s almost exactly like Russian Ikra without green pepper. I prefer my homemade but TJ’s is good too. There is also a red pepper one but I think it’s too sweet and not the same.
Love your recipe! Am making it this weekend. ❤️
Hi Tori- I think I know exactly which Trader Joe's spread you are referring to, I've tried it as well! Thank you for sharing. Happy cooking!
I am sorry I just saw your question. I am not sure what brand it would compare to.
Hi Natalya, can you can these?? If so, how??
Hey Julie, I am not 100% sure. I had never canned those. I usually keep them refrigerated.