Persian raw eggplant and carrot relish - haft bijar

1. I made one version without vinegar and let ferment on it's own. We shall see how this turns out. Probably add some vinegar to this later - so it keeps well.

2. 1. Chop all the fresh vegetables in a food chopper. Putting carrots in each batch helps make the other ingredients chop more evenly. Alternatively you can chop by hand, but it will take a long time.

3. 2. Mix all of them in a big bowl golpar powder and turmeric.

4. 3. Put everything in jars and fill 3/4 and leave 1/4 of jar empty so you can pour vinegar in it. Put 1.5 Tablespoons of salt per quart jar - I usually put half at about the 1/4 full, and the rest at the 'full' stage.

5. 4. Fill the jars with vinegar and put on a plastic lid - or put plastic wrap over the jar and a metal lid over that. Put it on tight, then loosen slightly.

6. 5. Let sit for a month or more to ferment and marinate.

7. Tips
Golpar powder (Heracleum persicum) is rather hard to find except in a Persian/Iranian market - some middle eastern markets will have it too. It's sort of like fennel and licorice, with perhaps lovage and celery notes. You can leave it out, or sub some fennel seed (ground up).