Meat and Rice Stuffed Bell Peppers

I suggest a simple and classic recipe for meat and rice stuffed peppers. I cook them in a cauldron, with tomatoes or tomato paste for flavor and sourness. The recipe is usual, the ingredients are simple. The dish always turns out delicious, tender, and juicy.

• 
  Cut off the “lids” and remove the insides. Rinse the vegetables so that not a single seed remains. The caps themselves can be used in salads or other dishes.
• Boil the rice until it is half-cooked. Depending on the variety. Will take 7 to 10 minutes. Place on a plate and cool. If the rice is hot, when adding the egg to the filling, it will curdle and will not bind the ingredients together.
• 
  Mix rice, minced meat, chopped onion and egg. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings.
• 
  Stir in the stuffing.
• 
  Chop the fresh tomatoes on a grater or in a blender. I prefer to do it on a coarse grater, leaving the skins in my hands. Add salt. If using tomato paste, dilute 2 tbsp. in a glass of water, stir, salt.
• 
  Fill the empty peppers with stuffing. Do not make the stuffing tightly – the rice will boil and fill the empty spaces.
• 
  Place the stuffed vegetables tightly in a cauldron or pot with tight, high walls.
• 
  Pour tomato mixture over the top.
• 
  Fill with boiling water so that the peppers are completely covered with liquid. Place over low heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for half an hour. Part of the liquid will evaporate, and in the remaining part, you can add a spoonful of flour, thick, and make gravy.

I serve stuffed peppers as an independent dish, without garnish. At most, I put a spoonful of sour cream or homemade mayonnaise. And the combination of meat + rice + vegetables is so light and tender that you can eat a lot of them. But children love stuffed peppers with buckwheat most of all. Try different variants, experiment, and enjoy the result! Bon appetit!