Gemista me kima (Stuffed tomatoes and pepper with rice and chopped veal)

Ingredients

  • 5-6 medium Ripe Tomatoes
  • 3-4 Green Bell Peppers
  • 1 cup Rice rinsed
  • 3/4 pound Chopped Veal
  • 5-6 medium Potatoes cut into chunks
  • 2 medium Red Onions finely chopped
  • 2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
  • 1 cup Greek Olive Oil
  • 3-4 tbsp Parsley finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Mint, finely chopped
  • 2 cups Water
  • A pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

Rinse the tomatoes and drain. We slice the top of the tomatoes, making sure not to cut all the way through. Cut just enough in order to be able to scoop out the flesh of the tomatoes and place it in a bowl.


Sprinkle tomatoes’ interior with the sugar to cover up the sometimes sour taste of fresh tomatoes.


Then slice the top of the peppers and remove their seeds. Rinse and drain.


We grate the tomatoes’ flesh with the thick part of the grater or pulp them in the blender.


In order to prepare the stuffing: in a hot frying pan, stir to sauté onions, until caramelized. Add half of the olive oil and when hot, sauté chopped veal, till it turns white. Add the garlic, grated tomatoes, 1 cup of water, rice, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer, while stirring regularly, until all liquids are absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat, add parsley, mint, stir and allow cooling for a while.


Preheat the oven at 350o F.


Stuff the tomatoes and peppers, which you have arranged in a baking pan, with the stuffing mixture. Make sure to fill them up to ¾, to allow rice mixture to expand.


Add the potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and then pour over the remaining olive oil and water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes.


Afterwards we remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for about 30 more minutes. While baking, regularly brush the stuffed vegetables with the oil from the pan.


Remove pan from the oven and serve the “gemista me kima”. In Greece, they are served either hot, or cold as a “meze”.


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