Persian Style Stuffed Peppers!

Hi MFPers

Thought I would share a recipe that I absolutely love! If you like middle eastern cuisine, or if you want to just try something new, give this whirl!

• 5 quarts water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons salt
• 4 large green, red, and/or yellow bell peppers, tops, seeds, and membranes removed
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1/2 cup yellow split peas
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 large diced tomatoes (I prefer the fresh, but if you get canned, get the low sodium option)
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef or lamb (I opt for Turkey)
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup water

1. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a smaller pot.

2. Add salt to the water in the large pot. Blanch the pepper cases for 3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon, and drain, open ends down.

3. Stir the rice into the pepper water. Bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes, drain, rinse, and drain again. Place the rice in a large bowl. This ensures you get a lot of the starch out of the rice and keeps it from getting sticky.

4. Meanwhile, cook the split peas in the smaller pot for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again. Add the split peas to the rice.

5. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

6. Sauté the onion and ground meat until the onion is soft and the meat is browned. Add them to the rice and peas. Add the diced tomatoes and mix well.

7. Stir in the herbs and spices and season with salt and pepper.

8. Fill the pepper cases with the stuffing and place them in a baking dish. Add 1/2 cup water and cover the dish. Bake for an hour or until the peppers are tender.


Enjoy