Required products:
- red peppers - 6 pcs.;
- large tomatoes - 4 pcs.;
- small eggplants - 2 pcs.;
- minced meat mixture - 500 g;
- rice - 250 g;
- onions - 2 heads;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- potatoes - 2 pcs.;
- tomato puree - 2 tbsp.;
- oil - 80 ml;
- red pepper - 1 tsp;
- dry savory - 1 tsp;
- black pepper - 1/2 tsp;
- salt - 1 and 1/2 tsp;
- warm water or broth - 500 ml;
- parsley - 1/2 bunch.
Method of preparation:
The peppers are cleaned of seeds, the tomatoes are hollowed out, and the eggplants are cut in halves or shaped into small boats. After lightly salting, they are left for 10 minutes and dried. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces, which are later placed between the vegetables.
Fry the onion in 80 milliliters of oil for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the minced meat and stir for about 6-7 minutes to break it up and brown it evenly. Then add the washed rice, which is stirred for another 2-3 minutes.
Add tomato puree, the reserved tomato pulp, garlic, paprika, savory, black pepper and salt to the mixture. Pour in about 150 milliliters of hot water or broth. Cook the filling for 5-6 minutes - enough for the rice to start to swell, but without completely cooking it. Finally, add half a bunch of chopped parsley.
Roasting in two stages
The vegetables are stuffed without pressing the mixture too hard, as the rice will increase in volume. Cover the peppers and tomatoes with the cut-off caps. Arrange everything in a pan, and place the potatoes between the stuffed vegetables. Add the remaining 350 milliliters of warm water or broth, so that there is liquid at the bottom for stewing.
The pan is covered with aluminum foil and placed in a preheated 180 degree oven for 40 minutes. Then the foil is removed and the dish is baked for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, the rice is ready, and a golden brown color forms on top.
Readiness is checked with a little rice from the middle of one of the vegetables. If it is still hard, you can add a little hot water and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes.
Before serving, let the stuffed vegetables rest for at least 10 minutes to firm up the filling. The dish can be served with yogurt or fresh salad. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days, and when reheated, a little water can be added.
Source: recepti.gotvach.bg