Hungarian vegetarian stuffed peppers

Name: Hungarian vegetarian stuffed peppers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Hungary
Ingredients: 8 pointed yellow peppers, or 4 large red ones; 150 g short-grain rice; 150 g red lentils; 2 onions, chopped; 250 g mushrooms, chopped; 2 tbsp sweet paprika; 3 tbsp sunflower oil; 700 g passata; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp wine vinegar; Salt and black pepper

Method

Cut a lid from each pepper and pull out the core and seeds without piercing the walls. Keep the lids.
Fry the onions in the oil for 8 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes more, until their liquid has gone.
Off the heat, stir in the paprika, then the raw rice, lentils, 1 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Fill the peppers only two-thirds full, since the filling swells a lot, and replace the lids.
Stand them upright and snug in a casserole, then pour round the passata loosened with 300 ml water, along with the sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes, spooning sauce over the peppers halfway through.
Check the rice is tender right through, rest for 10 minutes and serve each pepper in a pool of its sauce.

The tomato sauce here is meant to taste frankly sweet and sharp, so do not skip the sugar; it balances the acidity. Choose peppers that stand up on their own and the braise will go far more smoothly. Squash halves need the same footing: shave a thin slice off the rounded underside of each one, as in stuffed acorn squash.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.
Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Why fill the peppers only two thirds full?

Because the rice and lentils go in raw and swell a great deal as they drink the sauce over three quarters of an hour. A pepper filled to the brim splits at the sides and the stuffing spills into the pot.

Why add sugar and vinegar to the sauce?

The Hungarian tomato sauce for this dish is frankly sweet and tangy: the sugar balances the acidity of the tomato and the vinegar lifts the whole thing. Without them the sauce tastes flat next to the paprika-rich stuffing.

How do I know the peppers are cooked through?

Taste the filling at the centre with the tip of a knife: the rice should be tender with no hard grain. If the sauce reduces too far before then, add a little hot water and carry on with the lid on, basting the peppers.

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Hungarian vegetarian stuffed peppers

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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