Saffron Mosaic · Main dishes

Lentil & Raisin Stuffed Peppers

Name: Lentil & Raisin Stuffed Peppers
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 whole Red bell peppers; 480 g Canned lentils drained; 150 g Long grain rice; 50 g Raisins; 1 whole Onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 400 g Canned crushed tomatoes; 450 ml Water; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 1.5 tsp Ground cumin; 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon; 20 g Parsley; 0.75 tsp Salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper

Roast red pepper halves filled with lentils, rice, raisins and warm spices, baked over a light tomato sauce.

75 minutes · Easy · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Red bell peppers4 whole
Canned lentils drained480 g
Long grain rice150 g
Raisins50 g
Onion1 whole
Garlic3 cloves
Canned crushed tomatoes400 g
Water450 ml
Olive oil2 tbsp
Ground cumin1.5 tsp
Ground cinnamon0.25 tsp
Parsley20 g
Salt0.75 tsp
Black pepper0.25 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

No major allergens in the listed ingredients; check packaged-product labels.

Method

Start the rice and peppers

Heat oven to 200°C (400°F). Rinse rice, put in a small pan with 300 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, cook on low for 15–18 minutes and rest off heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile halve peppers through their stems, remove seeds and ribs, and brush with 1 tbsp oil. Roast cut-side up for 18 minutes.

Prepare the filling base

Dice onion, mince garlic and chop parsley. Drain and rinse lentils, then weigh 480 g after draining. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion for 7 minutes and add two-thirds of the garlic, cumin and cinnamon for 30 seconds.

Mix the filling and sauce

Stir lentils, raisins, cooked rice, half the parsley, pepper and 0.25 tsp salt into the onion pan. Heat for 3 minutes, stirring gently. Separately mix tomatoes, remaining garlic, remaining 150 ml water and remaining 0.25 tsp salt in a large baking dish that holds all eight pepper halves snugly.

Stuff and bake

Set partially roasted peppers on the sauce and divide filling between them, mounding lightly without packing hard. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 8–10 minutes more, until peppers are soft and the centres of the fillings are steaming hot.

Serve

Spoon tomato sauce onto four plates and add two pepper halves per person. Finish with remaining parsley. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat to 74°C (165°F).

Choose broad peppers of similar size to keep the filling stable.

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