Kawior van bakłażana

Kawior z bakłażana is a Polish eggplant paste that is served as an appetizer, usually accompanied by vodka. It consists of finely chopped baked eggplants combined with fried onions, garlic cloves, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. It is usually spread on slices of bread or buckwheat pancakes, served as an appetizer or a snack, but it can also be used as an accompaniment to meat and fish dishes. Eggplants were scarce in communist Poland, but nowadays this versatile vegetable is available in street markets across the country, typically near the end of summer. This garlicky dish is also a favorite appetizer in Russia and Ukraine, where it is called baklazhannaya ikra and kaviar z baklazhanyu, respectively.