The Tastiest Gemista (Greek Stuffed Peppers And Tomatoes)
User Reviews
5
51 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
30 mins
-
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs
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Servings
6 (to 8)
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Calories
589 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Greek
The Tastiest Gemista (Greek Stuffed Peppers And Tomatoes)
Report
The Tastiest Gemista is a traditional Greek dish featuring large tomatoes and green peppers hollowed and filled with a savory mixture of minced beef, rice, grated vegetables, herbs, spices, and tomato paste. The stuffed vegetables are baked alongside potato wedges and served with feta cheese. This hearty meal combines tender, juicy vegetables with a spiced filling offering a comforting and layered flavor experience.
Description
Gemista involves hollowing out tomatoes and green bell peppers, saving the tomato flesh to create a tomato-based sauce seasoned with olive oil, tomato puree, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper. The filling blends minced beef with grated onions, zucchini, carrot, garlic, and a mix of herbs and spices including oregano, allspice, cinnamon, parsley, and mint, combined with rice and canned tomatoes. This mixture is stuffed back into the vegetables, which are placed in a baking dish with peeled potato wedges around them.
Baked until the vegetables and filling are tender, the dish balances savory meatiness, aromatic spices, and the natural sweetness of the tomato sauce. Serving it with feta cheese adds a creamy, salty contrast. Gemista can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature, making it versatile for different meal settings.
Grating the vegetables finely helps them cook evenly within the filling. Leftover rice filling freezes well for future meals. Ensure potato wedges are cut small enough to become tender during baking. Leftovers store covered in the fridge for a few days or may be frozen, reheated carefully to warm through without drying.
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Ingredients
For the peppers and tomatoes
- 4 large tomato or 6 slightly smaller ones
- 4 large green pepper Australia: capsicum, US: bell peppers
For the tomato sauce
- 6 tablespoons olive oil plus a little more for cooking
- 4 tablespoons tomato puree US = paste
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon honey (or 1 teaspoon sugar)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the filling
- 1 onion grated, large
- 1 zucchini (UK: courgette) grated
- 1 carrot grated
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed with a garlic crusher or grated along with the rest of the vegetables in a food processor)
- 1 pound beef UK/Australia: 500 gram pack, minced
- 1½ teaspoons oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup rice Risotto/Arborio rice is best
- 14 ounces tomato 1 can, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree US = paste
- 1 bunch parsley chopped, fresh
- ½ bunch mint or 1 heaped teaspoon dried mint, fresh
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
To tuck around the vegetables
- 3 potato 2 to 3) peeled and cut into wedges - not too big, medium
To serve
- 5 ounces feta cheese UK/Australia 150 grams (roughly - I usually get a 200 gram pack in case people want more)
- lemon optional, wedges
Instructions
For the vegetables and tomato sauce
- Slice the top of the tomatoes off (keeping each top close to its corresponding tomato), then scoop the flesh out of them using a teaspoon. Leave enough around the edge so that the tomato ‘shell’ stays intact. Put the tomato flesh straight into a food processor.
- Add the olive oil, tomato puree, garlic, sugar, and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine and make a sauce.
- Now slice the tops off the peppers (keeping the tops close by) and scoop out the pith and seeds. Arrange the empty peppers and tomatoes in a large baking dish (keeping the tops close by).
For the filling/stuffing
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 390F. Heat up a big drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the grated onions, zucchini, carrot and garlic. Cook and stir for a few minutes until softened, then add the beef. Cook and stir again until meat is browned (another few minutes).
- Add the oregano, allspice, and cinnamon and stir for about another minute.
- Add the rice, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and about 1 cup of water. Mix well, then cover and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the rice is partly cooked.
- Stir through the parsley, mint, salt and pepper.
To assemble the dish
- Use a dessert spoon to fill tomatoes and peppers with the stuffing. Put the tops back on.
- Tuck the potato wedges in between the peppers and tomatoes.
- Pour the tomato sauce that you made in the food processor all over the tomatoes and peppers and potatoes. Then pour over 1 cup (250ml) water.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil and bake for 1¼ hours or until the potatoes are cooked and the tops of the vegetables are starting to brown. Remove the foil half way through cooking.
- Serve a half to a whole tomato and a pepper and a few potato wedges for each person. Spoon over some of the tomato sauce. Serve with a wedge of feta and, if you like, lemon wedges for squeezing over everything.
Equipments used:
Notes
- Grate all filling vegetables, including garlic, using a food processor for even texture.
- Brown rice can be used but requires doubling the pre-cooking time and monitoring moisture closely.
- Excess rice filling freezes well for future use.
- Cut potato wedges small to ensure they become tender when baked with the vegetables.
- Serve gemista with chunks of feta cheese and optional crusty bread; it can be eaten hot, warm, or at room temperature.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for several days or freeze in sealed containers; reheat slowly to warm through.
- Adding chopped dill, pine nuts, or raisins to the filling can introduce extra flavor variations.
- For a vegetarian version, replace meat with extra grated vegetables or cooked lentils and beans.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
589kcal
(29%)
Carbohydrates
48g
(16%)
Protein
23g
(46%)
Fat
35g
(54%)
Saturated Fat
12g
(60%)
Cholesterol
75mg
(25%)
Sodium
1215mg
(51%)
Potassium
1120mg
(24%)
Fiber
6g
(24%)
Sugar
14g
(28%)
Vitamin A
4233IU
(85%)
Vitamin C
133mg
(148%)
Calcium
227mg
(23%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6(to 8)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 589 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 589kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 35g | 54% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 75mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 1215mg | 51% |
| Potassium | 1120mg | 24% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 4233IU | 85% |
| Vitamin C | 133mg | 148% |
| Calcium | 227mg | 23% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
51 reviews
Excellent
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