Ντομάτες και πιπεριές γεμιστές (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2015). © Μουσείο Κυπριακών Τροφίμων και Διατροφής.
Many vegetables can be used for this dish: zucchini, bell peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, onions and eggplants are carefully emptied, stuffed with a mixture of minced meat and rice, and baked in the oven.
Name - Recipe
Γεμιστά. Vegetables stuffed with rice and minced meat
Version A
For the filling:
1 kg of minced pork
1¼ glass of glacé rice (soup rice)
¾ glass of olive oil
3 grated tomatoes
The inside part of the 5 tomatoes that are to be stuffed
4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of dry ground spearmint
½ cup lemon juice
Salt, pepper
Vegetables for stuffing:
5 medium round tomatoes
5 zucchini
2 large onions
4 bell peppers
4 eggplants
½ glass of olive oil
3 grated tomatoes
1 cube of chicken or vegetable stock (optional)
Version B
For the filling:
1 kg of minced pork
1 glass of glacé rice (soup rice)
2 glasses of tomato juice (or tomato paste diluted with water)
1 glass of lemon juice
1 cup of olive oil
1 cup of parsley
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. seasoning (pepper)
A few spearmint leaves
Vegetables for stuffing: zucchini, peppers, artichokes, tomatoes, onions
For baking:
1 glass of water
Juice from 1 lemon
A little olive oil
Version A
Empty the eggplants, peppers and tomatoes of their insides. Reserve the stem area to use as a lid later. Peel the large onions, slice them once lengthwise all the way down the center and boil them in water for about 10 minutes, until soft. Let them cool and carefully roll out the leaves one by one. Mix the minced meat, rice and onion, add the inside of the 5 tomatoes grated, parsley, spearmint, salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well. Fill the vegetables with the minced meat mixture and place them in a baking dish. Pour ½ cup of olive oil, 3 grated tomatoes, 2 cups of water and a chicken or vegetable stock over the stuffed vegetables. Cover with a lid or aluminium foil and place in the oven for ½ hour at 180°C. Uncover and continue baking for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. ( Iouliana Tsiakka, Cooking Cypriot food 2012-2013)
Version B
Mix the rice, minced meat, lemon, tomato juice, salt, pepper and cinnamon, parsley, spearmint and olive oil. Empty the vegetables of their inside and fill them with the mixture. Place the stuffed vegetables in a baking tray. Top with a little oil, the juice of a lemon and a glass of water. Cover the stuffed vegetables with aluminum foil and place them in a preheated oven. After 1 hour of baking, remove the foil and leave the food in the oven for another 30 minutes. (Margarita Charalambous, Cooking Cypriot food 2012-2013)
Boiling (for the onions).
Baking in the oven.
See also stuffed zucchini flowers recipe in RECIPES section.
See also stuffed vine leaves recipe in RECIPES section.
Additional information and bibliography
The above versions of the recipe come from Pachna in Limassol district and the occupied Gerolakkos in Nicosia district (Version A and B respectively).
Iouliana Tsiakka (14 years old, student of the Gymnasium of Ipsona) from a narration by Elena Charalambous (40 years old, Ypsoupoli). See Cyprus Food and Nutrition Museum (2014).
Margarita Charalambous (10 years old, student of Egomi B Primary School) from a narrative by Androulla Prodromou (69 years old, Lakatamia). See. Cyprus Food and Nutrition Museum (2014).
Petroulla Hadjittofi
Γεμιστά στο ταψί (ντομάτες, κρεμμύδια, κολοκύθια και πιπεριές). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Γεμιστά (ντομάτες, κρεμμύδι, κολοκύθια και πιπεριά) σερβιρισμένα σε πιάτο. Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
Γεμιστά (ντομάτα, κολοκύθι, μελιτζάνα, πιπεριά και κρεμμύδι) σερβιρισμένα σε πιάτο (Μαγειρεύω Κυπριακά 2013). Πηγή: Στάλω Λαζάρου.
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