Stuffed Paprika (Green Bell Peppers) Recipe ๐ถ๏ธ
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Description:
Almost every Hungarian would mention this dish if you would ask them to list the most typical summer meals. But this is not really Hungarian. A good example of the complicated history of this nation, toltott paprika has its roots in Turkey, but by now it has developed as a real Hungarian dish. It can be prepared in different ways, the following recipe is my favorite and maybe that is the most “Hungarianized” version.
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion
- 3 tomatoes
- 2-3 celery leaves
- 350g tomato puree
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup water
- 200g ground pork
- 400g smoked bacon, chopped
- 500g rice, half cooked
- 1 egg
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp white pepper powder
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 8-10 green bell peppers (or yellow paprika)
- 6-8 potatoes, boiled, for serving
Instructions:
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Boil Rice: Begin by boiling the rice until it is half cooked.
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Prepare Meat Mixture: While the rice is cooking, mix the minced pork with the chopped bacon, minced garlic, ground cumin, white pepper powder, marjoram, and raw egg in a bowl.
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Combine Ingredients: Once the rice is half cooked, add it to the meat mixture and combine well.
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Prepare Sauce: In a large pot, heat some oil and sautรฉ chopped onions until translucent. Then, add chopped celery leaves, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, sugar, white wine, and half of the water. Stir well to combine.
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Prepare Peppers: Wash the green peppers (or yellow paprika) and cut off the tops. Remove the seeds and membranes from inside the peppers.
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Stuff Peppers: Stuff the peppers with the meat and rice mixture, making sure not to pack them too tightly to allow room for the rice to expand during cooking.
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Cook Peppers: Place the stuffed peppers in the pot with the sauce. If there’s any remaining stuffing, form them into meatballs and add them to the pot. Pour the remaining water over the peppers.
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Simmer: Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 60-70 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the filling is cooked through.
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Serve: Serve the boiled stuffed paprika with boiled potatoes. Optionally, you can pour some of the sauce over the peppers and potatoes. However, some prefer to enjoy the dish on its own or with fresh soft white bread.
Enjoy this hearty and flavorful Hungarian dish, rich in history and tradition! ๐ญ๐บ
