Main dishes
Stuffed peppers with meat and rice
Stuffed peppers are a late-summer classic in Russia, when bell peppers are at their sweetest and cheapest. They're filled with mince, par-cooked rice and softened vegetables, packed upright in a pan and simmered in a sauce of tomato purée and sour cream. In an hour the peppers turn soft and sweet, the filling soaks up the sauce, and the sauce itself is so good you'll want to eat it with a spoon. It's a complete meal with meat, grain and vegetables in one pot, so no side dish is needed. Eight peppers feed four.
Method
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Boil the rinsed rice in salted water for 5-7 minutes until half cooked, then drain.
Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds and membranes and rinse.
Finely chop the onion and grate the carrot. Fry in the oil over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until soft.
Mix the mince, rice, half the fried vegetables and the chopped parsley. Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and some pepper and mix well.
Fill the peppers without packing too tightly, as the rice will swell.
Stand the peppers upright in a heavy-based pan, snugly side by side.
Add the tomato purée to the remaining vegetables in the frying pan and cook for 1 minute. Pour in 700 ml of hot water, add the sour cream, sugar and a pinch of salt and stir.
Pour the sauce over the peppers so they're almost covered, add the bay leaf and bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer gently for 50-60 minutes. Add the crushed garlic 5 minutes before the end.
Tips for success
- Choose thick-walled peppers with a flat base so they stand upright.
- If there are gaps in the pan, fill them with chunks of carrot or potato.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer: a hard boil can split the peppers.
- They taste even better the next day once the sauce has settled.
Serving and storage
Serve hot, 2 peppers each, with sauce spooned over. Top with sour cream and herbs and serve with bread.
Keep in their sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days. Raw stuffed peppers freeze for up to 3 months; cook from frozen for an extra 15 minutes.
Variations
- Oven-baked: stand the peppers in a dish, pour over the sauce and bake at 180°C for 50 minutes, adding cheese at the end.
- Chicken: use chicken mince and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Vegetarian: replace the mince with rice, fried mushrooms and carrots.
Calories and macros
Per serving (about 728 g):
Per 100 g: 91 kcal, P 3.9, F 5.5, C 7. An estimate based on average ingredient values. Your daily calories ›
