Stuffed Peppers
6 servings
60 minutes
Stuffed peppers are one of the most popular and cozy dishes in Russian cuisine, rooted in family lunch traditions. Sweet bell peppers filled with aromatic meat filling and rice gain incredible juiciness during the stewing process. Khmeli-suneli and basil add subtle spicy notes to the dish, while the delicate tomato-vegetable sauce makes it even more appetizing. The taste of stuffed peppers is a balance of the pepper's softness, the richness of the meat filling, and a slight acidity from the tomatoes. They are served hot, generously drizzled with sauce and fresh sour cream that softens the spices and deepens the flavor. This dish is perfect for a family dinner, a cozy gathering or even a festive table as its aroma and rich taste evoke warm memories and a sense of home comfort.
1
Prepare all the ingredients.
2
Cut off the stems of the peppers, remove the seeds and inner partitions. Rinse thoroughly. Leave on a kitchen towel to drain the water.
- Sweet pepper: 12 pieces
3
Rinse the rice, pour cold water, and cook until half done. Then drain the rice in a sieve and rinse again with cold water.
- Rice: 130 g
4
Finely chop one onion, fry it in vegetable oil until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat, add butter.
- Onion: 4 heads
- Vegetable oil: 6 tablespoons
- Butter: 30 g
5
Chop the basil leaves finely.
- Red Basil: 1 bunch
6
Wash and dry the meat, remove excess fat from the thigh fillet, cut the meat and grind it into minced meat. Grind another onion with the minced meat.
- Chicken thigh fillet: 500 g
- Veal: 500 g
- Onion: 4 heads
7
Add basil, salt, pepper, khmeli-suneli, sautéed onion with butter, and rice to the minced meat, and mix well.
- Red Basil: 1 bunch
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Khmeli-suneli: 1 teaspoon
- Onion: 4 heads
- Rice: 130 g
- Butter: 30 g
8
Tightly stuff the peppers with minced meat. Place the peppers in a pot. If there's leftover minced meat, form small meatballs and place them on top.
- Sweet pepper: 12 pieces
9
Cut the tomatoes, pour boiling water over them for 2 minutes, and peel off the skin. Grate them on a fine grater.
- Tomatoes: 4 pieces
10
Finely chop the remaining 2 onions and sauté them in vegetable oil in a deep large skillet.
- Onion: 4 heads
11
Peel the carrot, grate it on a coarse grater, add to the onion, and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Carrot: 2 pieces
12
Add tomatoes to the onion and carrot, sauté for 3-4 minutes, add water, bring to a boil, season with salt, and send the sauce to the peppers.
- Tomatoes: 4 pieces
- Salt: to taste
13
If the liquid does not cover the peppers, add water and salt if necessary. Cook the peppers for 20-25 minutes covered on medium heat, avoiding strong boiling.
- Salt: to taste
14
Serve the peppers in deep plates with sauce and sour cream.
- Sour cream: to taste