Traditional cuisine today with one of the most famous Greek dishes along with mousaka and souvlaki: gemista or stuffed vegetables with rice.
This dish can be made in various versions. You can stuff zucchinis, eggplants, red peppers, tomatoes, green peppers, onion petals, wine leaves, add minced meat, add couscous, or any preference you might have.
Today I am going to share the most traditional version that combines green peppers and tomatoes. I love peppers, especially the green ones because they are a bit bitter in taste. Tomatoes are now at their peak season. Try to use vegetables while at their season so that the flavor is full and you don’t get to eat a lot of preservatives.
Ingredients: 9 tomatoes, 5 green peppers, 2 onions minced, 1 chopped eggplant, a handful of fresh minced spearmint, a handful of chopped parsley, 300 gr rice (named blue rose fancy), 1 vegetables bouillon cube, 70 gr tomato paste, 1 cup olive oil, pepper, 1 shot of molasses. Normally I would season with salt, but I have dietary restrictions – please feel free to do so according to your preferences
Start by cutting a slice off the head of each tomato and green pepper but not entirely – don’t detach it from the rest of the body. Empty the inside of the tomato and keep it on the side. Empty the seeds of the green pepper and dispose of them. Put the inside of the tomato in a blender and melt to create tomato juice. Put the onions in the blender too and melt them. Chop the eggplants, the spearmint, and the parsley (I used parsley already stored in my refrigerator).
In a deep pot, put half the olive oil and the melted onions. Sauté them well on a medium to high fire. Add the eggplant and toss. Add the tomato juice, spearmint, and parsley while tossing. Add the tomato paste, bouillon cube and molasses; lower the heat to medium. In the end add the rice and season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for 10’. Withdraw from fire.
Use a tray that can accommodate your emptied tomatoes and green peppers, the one standing next to the other. Fill them with the rice stuffing. Don’t overstuff the vegetables as the rice will expand while cooking in the oven. Put any remaining stuffing between the vegetables on your tray and spray the rest of the olive oil all over the food. Cover with aluminum foil.
Pre-heat your oven and place the tray at 175 C for 1.5 hour. Uncover after the 50 min and let the food roast. Take it out of the oven and let it rest. This food is eaten while at room temperature, not hot. Enjoy with nice feta cheese!