Ingredients
- Ten medium-sized bell peppers
- 5 cups of rice (or bulgur)
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 2 medium-sized onions
- 2 tbsp of pinenuts
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 tbsp of currants
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of dried mint
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- 1/2 tsp of allspice
- Slice of chedar cheese (optional)
Preparation and Cooking
- To prepare the peppers, while keeping the stems in place, cut the tops of each pepper to make a cap (which can be reused after filling), and hollow-out each by removing any seeds inside.
- Prepare the stuffing (filling). For this process, follow the instructions given in the previous recipies, which starts by sautéing finely chopped onions in olive oil first. If preferred, pine nuts can be added and continue sautéing until they change color. Then add and mix the remaining ingredients including rice, currants and spieces.
- Add the hot water and cook for 5-8 minutes, until the rice is partially cooked.
- Fill each hollowed-out pepper with the prepared stuffing while leaving 1cm space at the top for expansion during cooking.
- Arrange the stuffed peppers vertically in a clay pot and cover each cap, and add water to the pot halfway as well as drizzle with olive oil, and then close the lid. A heatproof plate or a flat clay-based weight can be used on top of the stuffed pappers to keep them from unraveling during cooking.
- As recommended in other recipies, cook the dish over low heat (100-150oC) for about 40-60 min, or until the rice expands to the top.
- After cooking, remove the plate or weight and let the peppers cool with the pot lid slightly ajar.
- Stuffed peppers can be served warm or cold, and as a common side food in many Turkish dishes served with a dollop of yogurt.
Hints and Comments
- The stuffed peppers can be made with meat (minced lamb or veal with 30%fat) as well. If made with meat, it is suggested to use less spice and serve hot. If they are made without meat, however, drizzle them with olive oil after they have cooled and serve cool or even cold directly after fridge.
- In some recipies, the meat is not cooked in the mixture, which offers different flavour. In addition, rice or bulgur is not half-cooked but soaked in water for an hour, which also changes the flavour. In addition, if preferred a slice of cheese may be added to the top of each stuffed pepper few minutes before taking out from the oven.
