Stuffed veggies aka gemista

Name: Stuffed veggies aka gemista
Yield: 5 servings (3 veggies per portion)
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: 5 ripe tomatoes; 5 green bell peppers; 3 potatoes medium size; 1 eggplant; 1 zucchini; 2 large onions; 1 clove garlic; 1 sweet red pepper; 1/2 batch parsley; 2 spoons ground dried peppermint; sea salt; sweet paprika; cumin (lots of it); 1 pinch cinnamon; 200 ml extra virgin olive oil; 300 γρ rice (better arborio or carnarolli or similar); the insides of the tomatoes or equivalent of 200 ml tomato sauce; 2 tbs tomato paste; 1 pinch brown sugar

Cookpad Pakistan Team @cookpad_Pakistan

Zoom Live Cooking Show with Dimitra from Greece

Cookpad Pakistan Team @cookpad_Pakistan

Zoom Live Cooking Show with Dimitra from Greece

Saved

Ingredients

5 servings (3 veggies per portion)

5ripe tomatoes
5green bell peppers
3potatoes medium size
1eggplant
1zucchini
2large onions
1 clovegarlic
1sweet red pepper
1/2 batchparsley
2 spoonsground dried peppermint
sea salt
sweet paprika
cumin (lots of it)
1 pinchcinnamon
200 mlextra virgin olive oil
300γρ rice (better arborio or carnarolli or similar)
the insides of the tomatoes or equivalent of 200 ml tomato sauce
2 tbstomato paste
1 pinchbrown sugar

Saved

Steps

1

Wash and place the veggies in the baking tray that you will use. It is really important to make sure that they are crumped up in the tray with no gaps in between.
2

Cut tomatoes from the top making sure not to cut through the slice, forming a lid for our tomatoes. Using a teaspoon, scoop the inside of the tomatoes, being really careful not to punch through them. Grate the inside of the tomatoes, add the tomato paste and give it a stir. Save it for later.
3

Cut the peppers the same way as the tomatoes and take out the seeds. Do the same for the two potatoes, empty them and create a space. Cut the eggplant and the zucchini in half and empty them as well.
4

Grate the onions and place them in a skillet with half of the olive oil over medium heat. Crush and add the garlic. Chop the red pepper and add it in the skillet and sauté.
5

Cook until soften and add the tomato. Add the herbs and give it a stir.
6

Add the fresh parsley and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the rice and salt excessively. The mixture needs to be really salty because when the rice is cooked it will absorb the excess salt and it will be just fine. Fill in the vegetables with a spoon leaving some space for the rice to cook, it will double in size during cooking. Cut the potato into chunks, sprinkle them with some salt and tomato paste and place them between the stuffed vegetables. Add the rest of the olive oil and some tomato sauce.
7

Bake on a preheated oven over 200oC for 90 minutes well covered. Check every 30 minutes to make sure that there is an excess of liquid. If not add a splash of boiled water. Check to the hour and if the rice is almost cooked uncover and let cook for half an hour. Avoid serving sizzling hot, better enjoyed cold with lots of feta cheese.