Serbian · Condiment

Pinđur

Roasted pepper strips are folded through a concentrated tomato base with garlic, parsley and vinegar, keeping the relish coarse and bright before prompt refrigerated or frozen storage.

Serbian National Dishes
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Pinđur
Yield about 2.0 kg relish
Preparation 45 minutes
Cooking 90 minutes
Passive 120 minutes
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Pinđur with roasted pepper strips in a thick tomato base

Pinđur changes character depending on where it is made. Some regional versions include eggplant; others, especially Serbian household formulas, focus on red peppers and tomato. The pepper-and-tomato preparation here keeps the peppers in visible strips. That coarse texture is the main practical distinction from a smooth, heavily ground pepper spread.

The peppers are roasted at high heat until the skins blister, then covered briefly to help peeling. Once peeled and seeded, they are torn or cut into narrow strips rather than passed through a grinder. A one-hour drain removes the water released by roasting while allowing the flesh to remain soft and intact.

Tomato is reduced on its own with a little sugar before the pepper strips enter the pot. This sequencing matters. If peppers are simmered from the beginning, the long exposure to heat breaks them down and the final relish becomes homogeneous. By concentrating tomato first, the combined cooking stage can stay relatively short and gentle.

Oil, garlic, parsley and salt turn the reduced tomato and pepper strips into a glossy relish. Stirring should resemble folding more than beating. The last addition is 5% wine vinegar, followed by only a brief simmer. The finished pinđur should show strips suspended in a thick tomato base, with no watery ring at the edge of the pot.

Older zimnica practices may use hot-filled jars for long storage, but this preparation is cooled in shallow containers and kept at 4 °C or below, with a 3- to 4-day refrigerated window. Extra portions are frozen, avoiding an unvalidated home-canning claim.

Practical

Practical

  • ControlKeep pepper strips distinct rather than grinding them smooth.
  • ControlReduce tomatoes before adding peppers.
  • ControlFold gently once the peppers enter the pot.
  • ControlUse refrigerated or frozen storage only.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Pinđur

  • 2000 g fleshy red peppers, washed and dried
  • 1000 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
  • 100 ml sunflower oil
  • 80 ml wine vinegar, 5% acidity
  • 40 g granulated sugar
  • 25 g garlic, finely chopped
  • 20 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 20 g fine salt
Directions

Directions

Prepare the peppers

  1. Roast the red peppersRoast 2000 g red peppers at 220 °C until the skins blister and the flesh softens, turning as needed. The skins are blistered broadly and the peppers have collapsed but still retain flesh. Roasting creates a sweet pepper base and loosens the skins.

  2. Keep the peppers in stripsCover briefly, peel and seed, tear or cut the peppers into narrow strips, then rest them in a colander to drain. The strips are soft but remain identifiable and excess liquid has drained away. Draining keeps the finished relish thick without excessive cooking.

Cook the tomato base and combine

  1. Reduce the tomatoCook 1000 g peeled diced tomatoes with 40 g sugar until their free liquid is substantially reduced. The tomato is thick and pulpy rather than soupy. Tomato is reduced before peppers are added so their strip texture is not destroyed by a long boil.

  2. Fold in the peppersAdd the pepper strips, 100 ml oil, 20 g salt, 25 g garlic and 20 g parsley, then cook gently while folding rather than mashing. The relish is cohesive, glossy and still shows distinct pepper strips. Gentle folding preserves the characteristic coarse texture.

  3. Add the vinegarStir in 80 ml 5% wine vinegar and simmer briefly. The vinegar aroma is integrated and no watery layer separates around the edges. A brief final simmer disperses the acid without prolonged softening.

Cool and refrigerate

  1. Cool as refrigerator relishDivide the hot pinđur among clean shallow containers, cool promptly, cover and refrigerate at 4 °C or below. The relish cools evenly and reaches refrigerator temperature without a long warm hold. Shallow containers support rapid cooling and conservative refrigerated storage.

Practical

Practical

Practical guidance

Pinđur is useful when the peppers remain visible, so serve it with a spoon rather than processing it again after chilling. A day in the refrigerator rounds the vinegar and garlic without erasing the roasted-pepper character. Freeze extra portions in shallow containers, leaving room for expansion, and thaw in the refrigerator. Do not place a thawed container on the table for extended grazing.

Control points

Control points

  • Pinđur turns into a smooth pasteGuidance: The peppers were ground or stirred too aggressively.Adjustment: Tear or slice the peppers and fold them through the reduced tomato base.
  • A watery ring forms after chillingGuidance: The peppers drained poorly or the tomatoes were not reduced enough.Adjustment: Return the relish to a wide pan and cook gently until no free liquid pools at the edge, then cool promptly again.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving size60 g
  • Caloriesapproximately 55 kcal
  • Carbohydratesapproximately 6 g
  • Proteinapproximately 1 g
  • Fatapproximately 3 g
  • Fibreapproximately 2 g
  • Sodiumapproximately 240 mg

These figures are approximate and can change with ingredient brands, trimming, liquid retention and portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Treat this pinđur as refrigerated food, not pantry zimnica. Cool in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours and hold at 4 °C or below. Use refrigerated portions within 3 to 4 days or freeze. The base ingredient list contains no major allergen.

FAQ

FAQ

Does pinđur always contain eggplant?

No. Regional versions differ. This Serbian-style edition uses peppers and tomato, while other Balkan versions may include eggplant.

Why keep pepper strips instead of grinding them?

The coarse strip texture is a defining choice in this version and keeps pinđur distinct from a smooth pepper paste.

Result: Pinđur finishes glossy and coarse, with distinct roasted-pepper strips held in a reduced tomato base and a restrained vinegar finish.

Key: Keep pepper strips distinct rather than grinding them smooth.