Iranian stuffed peppers

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 tablespoons Butter or margarine
1 large Onion, chopped
½ pounds Ground lean beef or lamb
1 can Tomato sauce (8 oz.)
Salt & pepper to taste
½ teaspoon Sugar
Grated peel of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 cup White rice
1½ cup Beef or chicken broth
1 cup Parsley, fresh chopped
1 cup Green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons Dill weed, dried
1 teaspoon Tarragon, dried, crushed
1 teaspoon Mint, dried, crushed
6 larges Green or red bell peppers
1 cup Beef broth
2 tablespoons Butter or margarine

Directions

Melt 2 tb. butter or margarine in a large saucepan. Add onion and saute until tender. Add meat and cook until browned and crumbly. Add half the tomato sauce, salt and black pepper. Cook 1 minute. Add sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and rice. Cook and stir until rice glistens. Add 1½ cups broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat 10 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. Stir in parsley, green onions, dill, tarragon and mint and cook for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Cut a thin slice from stem end of each pepper; reserve to use as lids. Remove seeds and white membranes from peppers. Place peppers in a large baking pan. Spoon meat mixture into peppers. Combine remaining ingredients, including remaining tomato sauce, in a small saucepan. Heat until butter or margarine melts. Pour over stuffed peppers and cover with reserved lids. Cover baking pan with foil. Bake 1 hour or until peppers are tender and filling is done. ** Stuffed Cabbage: Cook 1 whole medium cabbage in boiling water 8-10 minutes, depending on size. Drain and cool. Separate leaves and place 1 tbs. filling on each leaf. Roll up, tucking in edges. Place cabbage rolls in a large baking pan, making a single layer. Continue with recipe. ** Stuffed Tomatoes: Substitute 8 large tomatoes for the green peppers. Cut a thin slice from each stem end. Scoop out pulp and add to meat mixture. Heat 5 minutes before stuffing tomatoes. Continue with recipe. ** Stuffed Eggplant: Substitute 8 long Japanese eggplants for the green peppers. Slit each eggplant lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Heat ½ cup vegetable oil in a large skillet. Cook each eggplant in hot oil until blistered on all sides. Remove from skillet, drain on paper towels and let cool. Stuff with meat mixture. Continue with recipe.

Source: Middle Eastern Cooking by Rose Dosti.

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