Stuffed Peppers with Meat and Rice in a Saucepan

Previously, such a dish as stuffed peppers with meat and rice in a saucepan was incredibly popular: it was probably prepared in every family, and each housewife had her own recipe for cooking. Of course, the business was not without secrets! Someone put fresh spicy herbs in the filling, someone used exclusively ground beef for stuffing, and someone always made a special roast, which made the taste of the dish surprisingly rich. Our recipe is just one of the last. And if you have never cooked stuffed peppers with meat and rice in this way before, do it by all means. We guarantee a wonderful aroma throughout the house during the preparation process, and then an excellent gastronomic experience!

Ingredients

• round grain rice - 180 g
• medium-sized onions - 4 pcs.
• minced lamb or beef - 500 g
• a mixture of freshly ground cumin, coriander and dried tarragon - 1 tbsp. l.
• bell pepper - 1.5 kg
• medium-sized carrots - 2 pcs.
• medium sized tomatoes - 4 pcs.
• vegetable oil - 4 tbsp. l.
• bay leaf - 1 pc.
• ground red pepper - on the tip of a knife
• salt, ground black pepper - to taste

Directions

1. Prepare the minced meat for the pepper filling. Rinse the rice with drinking water until it becomes clear. Peel the onions (2) and cut into small cubes.
2. Toss the minced meat, washed rice, and chopped onion in a large bowl. Season with salt, ground black pepper and spices. Mix very well.
3. Wash and dry the bell pepper pods. Cut off the tops in the form of "lids". Remove seeds and internal septa. Set two bell pepper pods aside.
4. Stuff the prepared bell peppers with the resulting minced meat. Place it tightly around the edges of the pods, leaving a small space in the center for the rice to swell (if you do this too tightly, the expanded filling will break the walls).
5. Cut the remaining onions into half rings or wedges. Wash the carrots, peel and cut into strips. Cut the tomatoes crosswise and pour over boiling water several times. Then pour cold and peel.
6. Cut the tomato pulp into cubes. Cut the remaining bell peppers into strips. Heat oil in a skillet and brown onions until golden brown. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Put tomatoes and bell peppers in a frying pan with vegetables. Stir. Season with salt, sprinkle with ground red pepper. Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for 7 minutes.
8. Place the stuffed peppers very tightly in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. The less free space left, the better. Place the fried vegetables on top.
9. Pour boiling water so that it barely reaches the edge of the top layer. Add bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, covered for 50-60 minutes.