ReceptnaptárStuffed peppers in tomato sauce (punjena paprika)
Punjena paprika is the dish of the Balkan summer: fleshy peppers stuffed with minced meat and rice and simmered in a thick, sweetish tomato sauce. Every family in Serbia and Bosnia knows it, and it is a relative of Hungarian töltött paprika. The raw rice swells as it cooks, so the peppers must not be filled to the brim. It is even better the next day.
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Ingredients
Method
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- Cut the tops off the peppers, scrape out the seeds and rinse the insides.
- Fry half the onion in the oil in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes until translucent, then let it cool a little.
- In a bowl, mix the mince, raw rice, cooled onion, egg, paprika, salt and pepper - knead well.
- Spoon the filling into the peppers, filling them about three-quarters full - the rice swells as it cooks and needs room.
- In a larger pot, fry the rest of the onion in the rest of the oil, add the tomato juice, sugar, salt and a little water and bring to the boil.
- Carefully stand the stuffed peppers upright, open side up, in the hot sauce.
- Bring to the boil, then cover and cook at a gentle simmer over low to medium heat for 45-50 minutes.
- Halfway through, carefully taste and season the sauce, and top up with water if it's too thick.
- It's done when the pepper flesh is soft but still holds its shape and the rice in the filling is fully cooked.
- For a thicker sauce, stir the flour into a little cold water to a smooth paste, whisk it in and boil for another 3-4 minutes.
A Receptnaptár original recipe. Calories and protein are estimated.
Tips
- Fill the peppers only three-quarters full, because the rice swells as it cooks and the filling, with nowhere to go, can split them open.
- Cook them upright and packed closely together, so that they do not topple over and the filling stays inside.
- Adjust the sugar to the acidity of the tomatoes: a good sauce is sweet and tangy at once, and you cannot get it right without tasting.
Frequently asked questions
What can I do with leftover filling?
Shape it into small balls and cook them in the sauce between the peppers. These meatballs stay juicy, and many people like them best of all.
How does it differ from the Hungarian version?
The Balkan version is often juicier and made with raw rice, whereas the Hungarian one often uses part-cooked rice and a sauce thickened with a roux.
Similar recipes
- Hungarian stuffed peppers in tomato sauce · Hungarian
- Unstuffed pepper skillet · American
- Sogan-dolma (Bosnian onions stuffed with minced meat) · South Slavic
- Stuffed peppers (farshirovanny perets) · Russian
- Gemista (stuffed tomatoes and peppers) · Greek
- Oven-baked stuffed peppers · American
More south slavic ideas
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- Spiced minced meat sausages in flatbread (ćevapčići)
- Spiced bean soup with smoked meat (pasulj)
- Đuveč - baked vegetable rice with chicken
- Chicken and rice one-pot (piletina sa pirinčem)
- Balkan beef goulash with dumplings (gulaš)
- Breaded cutlet stuffed with kajmak (Karađorđeva šnicla)
- Piletina čorba (chicken soup with root vegetables)
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