Kapunata is similar to Ratatouille a vegetarian dish that can be served hot or cold as a main dish or as an appetizer on fresh Maltese bread from the bakery. It is a delicious and hearty vegetable stew typically made with a combination of eggplant (aubergines), zucchini (courgettes), bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and various Mediterranean herbs and spices.

Ingredients:

a few cloves of garlic, crushed
4 or 5 tomatoes
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 aubergine, chopped into cubes (eggplant)
green, red and orange bell peppers, roughly chopped
a good handful of capers
salt and pepper
2 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste
olive oil
chopped black olives
fresh basil or mint

Instructions:

Start with the aubergine and a baking dish. Throw the aubergine in there, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Mix it all together and bang it in the oven until the aubergine is a nice golden color – it’ll just take a few minutes.
Grab a decently-sized pot or deep pan and heat some olive oil in it. Add the onions and crushed garlic and cook them until they start to turn translucent.
Add the chopped bell peppers and continue cooking for a few more minutes before adding the grilled aubergine and tomatoes.
Leave all of that deliciousness to simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are nice and soft; you can add a little water if things start to get a little dry.
Throw in the olives and capers before adding at least 2 tablespoons of tomato paste – but feel free to add more if you just really love kunserva (Maltese brand tomato paste).
Add another dash of salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Top it all off with a few fresh basil (or mint) leaves for extra sass.

Enjoy your Kapunata!