Ikra (or "poor man's caviar") serves 4 Ingredients: 5 or 6 med red peppers 5 eggplants, peeled 3 big tomatoes 3 onions peeled 3 carrots peeled lots of oil (I use sunflower, but any kind will do) garlic, black pepper, salt, sugar and a bay leaf to taste To make: Cover the bottom of the pot with oil, chop the onions so the oil gets hot while you chop. Put the onions in and let them get all browned while you grate the carrots in a cheese grater. Add the carrots, cover and cook at medium heat. Thinly slice the peppers while stirring the carrots and onions as you slice. Add the peppers and some boiling water from a nearby kettle or water heater (have water boiling constantly, this will help). Don't drown the food, but put in enough water so nothing burns. Chop the eggplant into small squares and add them an eggplant at a time, stirring and adding water if needed. Cut the tomatoes into chunks and add to the pot. Check the juice: the tomatoes should add enough, but if you need too, add some more. Salt/sugar to taste maybe about a 1/2 tablespoon each or more. At this time put the bay leaf in and pepper to taste too. Chop or press as much or little garlic as you like. Again, it's to taste, though I put in 2 or 3 of those little pieces. Cook about 5 minutes after the garlic and that's all. This tastes nice hot over noodles, and I always eat it cold on bread for breakfast or any meal. It's healthy and it lasts about 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.