Croatian recipes: Punjene paprike / stuffed peppers

Punjene paprike (Photo: CroChef/Zagreb Tourist Board)

Punjene paprike is capsicums or peppers stuffed with a mix of meat and rice in a tasty tomato sauce.

Eaten in summer and autumn, the key is to use the Bianca / Babura variety of pepper.

Best served with mashed potatoes and a glass of wine. Enjoy.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Paprika – 4 large, fresh (sweet Bianca / Babura)
Minced meat – 500 g mixed (pork/beef)/1.1 pound
Rice – 1 tablespoon
Egg – 1
Onion – 1
Garlic – 3 cloves
Parsley – 1 teaspoon chopped
Tomato puree – 700 ml/24 ounces
Bay leaf – 1
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Bianca / Babura pepper are the best to use

Instructions

Wash the peppers and with a knife cut out the stem at the top and then remove the seeds inside – leaving a hole at the top of the peppers to put the minced meat inside – make sure the hole is not too big so the filling stays in better.

In a bowl mix together the egg, washed rice, chopped onions, garlic, and parsley. Add the minced meat, season with salt and pepper and mix with hands. Stuff the mixture inside the cleaned peppers.

In a pot, add olive oil and two tablespoons of flour and fry until light brown, then add the tomato puree, water, salt, pepper, bay leaf and let it boil.

Then add the stuffed peppers, add more water and cover and cook on a low heat for 45 minutes.

Prepare mashed potatoes.

Ready to serve…dobar tek!

(Photo: CroChef/Zagreb Tourist Board)