We like to stuff our vegetables in the Balkans. Not only do we stuff cabbage and grape leaves, but we stuff a variety of peppers as well. There are a variety of stuffed pepper dishes in the Balkans. My favorite is the sweet bell pepper variety and also the pickled pepper variety. Yes, you can (and totally should!) stuff kisele paprike!
A while ago, I posted my traditional Sarma recipe, Balkan style stuffed cabbage. This recipe mirrors that one, with some slight modifications. My mother taught me to make this dish; she is well known in our family for her stuffed peppers. She’s combined two types of stuffed peppers into one: Lenten/vegan and traditional stuffed peppers with meat.
There are 2 types of Punjene Paprike: posne (Lenten/vegan) and with meat. This recipe is for the meat variety. For those of you who have had posne paprike, you’ll notice some of the ingredients that go into the vegan kind in this recipe. I like to use half beef and half pork for my peppers, as I think this achieves the best flavor. However, feel free to use any kind of meat you’d like. One of our favorites is ground pork + ground turkey.
My husband loves this recipe, but he doesn’t eat the actual pepper. Rather, he peels the pepper away and eats the filling only, most often with feta cheese or kajmak.
For Punjene Paprike, I like to use Gypsy peppers as I think they are the ideal shape and size. However, if your grocery store doesn’t have these, feel free to use bell peppers. Just make sure you’re using small ones like in my photos otherwise the pepper flesh will be very thick and not much stuffing will fit.
Punjene Paprike / Balkan Stuffed Peppers
Course: MainCuisine: Balkan, Serbian4-6
servings30
minutes55
minutesOne of my favorite recipes eaten all year round, but especially delicious when peppers are in season.
Ingredients
7-8 fresh Gypsy or Bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 large onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil (I use sunflower)
1 medium carrot, grated
2 medium potatoes, 1 grated 1 sliced
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/2 lb (250 g) ground meat of your choice
1 cup (195-200 g) cooked white rice
2-3 tablespoons (14-21 g) paprika (aleva paprika)
1-2 tablespoons (17-34 g) Vegeta
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste (biber)
Directions
- In a deep skillet or pan, add the oil, onion, celery, and water, and cook on medium heat until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are very soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground meat and saute until the meat is completely cooked, breaking it up into very small pieces with a wooden spoon while it cooks.
- When the meat has cooked completely, remove from heat. Add in the rice, Vegeta, black pepper, paprika, grated potato, grated carrot, and salt to taste. Mix very well to combine all ingredients. Do not drain the fat from the meat.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (200 C).
- Once you have combined all the ingredients, tasted, and adjusted for seasoning, stuff each pepper almost all the way. Leave just a little bit of room at the opening. Insert a potato slice in each pepper to “close” the opening.
(I leave a little room at the top for the potato slice but also because the rice will expand in the pepper and I don’t want the filling to leak out.) - Place your stuffed peppers into a baking dish and pour in just enough water to cover the bottom. This prevents the peppers from sticking before they get a chance to release their juice.
- Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the tops are nicely charred.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- I like to serve my peppers with mashed potatoes, it’s a great combination.
- Feel free to use tomato slices to close the peppers instead, or a combination of potato and tomato!
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What is Vegeta? I have found Vegeta brand chicken stock and Vegeta brand seasoning. Is there a substitute? Thank you.
Hi, Vegeta is a vegetable seasoning. They make stock now too! It’s sort of like a bouillon cube but in powder form. You can use a vegetable bouillon cube as a substitute.
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Thanks so much! I appreciate the kind words.
– Nevena
hi i have a question. i just want to confirm that the rice should be cooked before stuffing the pepper? since you mention the rice will expand. thank you
Hi,
Yes, the rice should be cooked beforehand. It will still expand when cooking again in the peppers though. Sometimes if I’m in a rush I’ll only cook the rice about half way. That’s ok too, just make sure you account for that when you stuff the peppers.
Nevena