Traditional Maltese cooking
Kapunata
The Maltese version of ratatouille, a rich vegetable stew of aubergine, peppers, tomatoes, olives and capers, served warm or cold.
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines, cubed
- 2 courgettes, cubed
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 400g tinned tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 50g black olives, pitted
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, to garnish
Steps
- 1
Salt the aubergine cubes and leave in a colander for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness, then rinse and pat dry.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the aubergine until golden, then remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same pan, cook the onions, garlic and peppers until softened.
- 4
Add the courgettes and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the tomato paste and tinned tomatoes, then return the aubergine to the pan.
- 6
Add the olives, capers, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 7
Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm or at room temperature.