It is not known from which country the recipe for stuffed bell pepper came from. However, he received the widest distribution throughout the world. There are dozens of different recipes for this dish: with meat and vegetarian fillings, with various varieties of sauce. Stuffed peppers with meat and rice are considered classic.
Stuffed Peppers: Video Recipe
To make stuffed peppers you will need:
– Bulgarian pepper – 1,5 kg; – lean meat (pork, beef or their combination) – 500-700 g; – long-grain parboiled rice – 3/4 cup; – medium-sized onions – 5 pcs.; – large carrots – 2 pcs .; – tomato paste – 2 tbsp. l.; – vegetable oil for frying; – ground black pepper; – bay leaf; – allspice peas; – salt – to taste.
For this dish, ordinary large bell peppers, red, yellow or green, are suitable. However, it is most delicious to stuff summer “country” varieties. Despite the unsightly appearance, they have a thinner skin and a delicate taste.
You will also need a large deep saucepan with a lid for cooking.
Rinse the meat, dry it with a paper towel and mince it or chop it with a food processor. Cut the peeled onion into small cubes, place in a preheated frying pan with vegetable oil and sauté over medium heat until it becomes soft and transparent. Peel and coarsely grate the carrots. Add it to the onion and continue to fry, stirring occasionally, for about 5 more minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Rinse the rice by changing the water several times until it becomes transparent. Add minced meat and onion-carrot frying to it. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Rinse the bell peppers. Using a thin, sharp knife, carefully so as not to damage the walls, make an incision around the stem and pull on it. Remove the seeds and white partitions from the inside and rinse under running water. Fill each pepper pod tightly with the filling to the brim.
In this form, the peppers are very convenient to prepare for future use. Pack them in bags and put them in the freezer, then take them out and cook as needed.
Dissolve tomato paste in water. Put the peppers stuffed with minced meat in a saucepan vertically, with the hole up, and pour the tomato sauce so that it completely covers the minced meat. Add a couple of bay leaves and a few allspice peas to the broth. Season with salt and cook, covered with a lid, over low heat. How long to stew pepper depends on its size. This usually takes about 45 minutes.
Since this dish contains cereals and vegetables in addition to meat, it does not require a side dish. As a sauce for stuffed peppers, sour cream is best suited.