Ingredients
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4 Paprika red
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4 Paprika green
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4 Paprika red
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Stuffing:
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1/2 cup Brown rice
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400 g Minced beef
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400 g Minced pork
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to taste Salt
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to taste Grounded black pepper
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3 tbsp Parsley leaves
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Sauce:
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1 Onion
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1 Carrot
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50 g Celery root
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50 g Parsley rootoptional
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30 g Parsnipoptional
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1 tsp Tomato paste
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400 g Italian canned tomatos
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1 Bay leaf
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5 Black pepper whole
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3 Pimento
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1 tsp Paprika powder sweet
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1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
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1 clove Garlicoptional
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1/4 tsp Chili powderoptional
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3 tbsp Extra Virgin olive oil
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to taste Salt
Directions
Stuffed peppers are a classic dish of Ukrainian cuisine. They are especially popular in the south of the country, where peppers are sweet and fleshy, and where in summer and autumn tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, herbs, and other vegetables are abundant. Not only peppers are stuffed: tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants—commonly referred to simply as “blue ones”—are also used and baked together.
Traditionally, the filling includes minced meat (pork and/or beef), rice, and sautéed vegetables. This may be as simple as onions and carrots, or a more elaborate mixture of finely chopped root vegetables (celery root, parsnip, parsley root), along with seasonal vegetables—again, peppers, eggplants, and zucchini.
A meatless version is also prepared, in which rice is mixed with diced eggplant and/or sautéed mushrooms and other vegetables. The sauce is traditionally tomato-based. The peppers can be simmered in a heavy pot on the stovetop or baked in the oven—the latter option seems more convenient to me.
If we trace the history of the dish, we arrive in the Ottoman Empire, where a family of dishes known as dolma existed (and still exists in Turkey), from the verb dolmak (“to fill”). This category included stuffed grape leaves, eggplants, zucchini, and peppers.
Classic Ottoman dolma consists of rice, onions, herbs, sometimes meat, and olive oil. It was through the Ottoman Empire that the idea of stuffed vegetables spread across the Balkans and into Eastern and Central Europe.
However, while dolma is typically a meze or part of a large shared table, once it entered Ukrainian cuisine via the Balkans and was enriched by local flavors and traditions, stuffed vegetables—especially peppers—became a full meal and an important part of home cooking.
As you can see, this is a rich, flavorful, and nourishing dish. I recommend cooking a large batch right away!
Enjoy your meal!
This recipe makes enough for 12 medium-sized peppers, baked in the oven on a deep baking tray.
Today's visits: 1.
Steps
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1
Done
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Cook the rice in advance until half done; it can even be prepared a day ahead. |
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2
Done
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For the sauce, dice the onion and root vegetables and sauté them in olive oil until golden. Add the tomato paste and cook together for a couple of minutes. Then add the tomatoes and all the spices, season with salt to taste, and simmer for about 15 minutes. |
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3
Done
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For the filling, combine the minced meat with the rice, add 3 tablespoons of the tomato-and-vegetable sauce and the chopped herbs, and season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. |
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4
Done
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). |
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5
Done
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Fill the peppers with the mixture, without packing it too tightly. Pour a little water into a baking dish (30 × 25 cm). Arrange the stuffed vegetables so that they cover the entire bottom of the dish. Pour the sauce over them. The liquid should be at least 1 cm deep from the bottom of the dish, but not too much, as the peppers will release their own juices during cooking. |
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6
Done
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Cover the peppers with baking paper, then seal tightly with foil. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes covered, then remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, until the peppers are lightly browned. |
