📝 About This Recipe
A cornerstone of Russian home cooking, these stuffed bell peppers are a nostalgic masterpiece of tender meat, aromatic rice, and sweet vegetables. Unlike their baked Western counterparts, these peppers are gently braised in a rich, velvety tomato and sour cream sauce until they reach a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. This dish perfectly captures the 'Dacha' spirit, blending garden-fresh produce with hearty, soul-warming flavors that improve even more the next day.
🥗 Ingredients
The Peppers
- 6-8 pieces Bell Peppers (medium sized, ideally red, orange, or yellow for sweetness)
The Filling
- 500 grams Ground Beef (80/20 fat ratio for juiciness)
- 250 grams Ground Pork (adds essential tenderness and flavor)
- 1/2 cup White Rice (uncooked, rinsed thoroughly)
- 1 large Yellow Onion (finely diced)
- 1 large Carrot (finely grated)
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons Sunflower Oil (for sautéing vegetables)
- 1 teaspoon Salt and Black Pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Marjoram (optional, for traditional herbal depth)
The Braising Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste (concentrated)
- 3 tablespoons Sour Cream (Smetana) (full fat)
- 2-3 cups Beef or Vegetable Broth (enough to cover 2/3 of the peppers)
- 2 pieces Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Sugar (to balance the acidity of the tomatoes)
For Garnish
- 1/2 bunch Fresh Dill (finely chopped)
- 1 dollop Extra Sour Cream (per serving)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Place the rice in a small pot with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes until parboiled (it should still have a bite). Drain and set aside to cool.
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2
Heat sunflower oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced onions for 5 minutes until translucent, then add the grated carrots. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until soft and golden. Set aside half of this mixture for the sauce.
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3
Prepare the peppers: Slice the tops off (keep them as 'lids' if desired) and carefully remove the seeds and white membranes from the inside without piercing the walls.
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4
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, parboiled rice, the other half of the sautéed onion/carrot mixture, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and marjoram.
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5
Mix the meat filling thoroughly by hand. For extra tenderness, add 2-3 tablespoons of cold water to the meat mixture and work it in.
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6
Stuff each bell pepper with the meat and rice mixture. Pack it firmly but do not squeeze too hard, as the rice will expand slightly during cooking.
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7
In a deep pot or Dutch oven where the peppers can stand upright snugly, whisk together the broth, tomato paste, sour cream, sugar, and the remaining sautéed vegetables.
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8
Place the stuffed peppers into the pot, standing them upright. The liquid should reach about two-thirds of the way up the peppers. If not, add a little more broth or water.
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9
Toss in the bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
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10
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 45-55 minutes.
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11
Check the peppers at 45 minutes; the pepper walls should be very soft and the meat fully cooked through.
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12
Turn off the heat and let the peppers rest in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to settle.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always parboil the rice; using raw rice can result in crunchy centers, while fully cooked rice may turn to mush. Mixing beef with pork is the secret to the authentic 'soft' texture of Russian meatballs and stuffings. Don't skip the sugar in the sauce; it is essential for cutting the metallic edge of tomato paste. If your sauce is too thin at the end, remove the peppers and simmer the sauce uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce it. For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with a mix of sautéed mushrooms and extra rice.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve each pepper in a shallow bowl with a generous ladle of the braising sauce. Always top with a cold dollop of Smetana (sour cream) and a heavy sprinkle of fresh dill. Accompany with a thick slice of crusty dark rye bread to soak up the juices. Pair with a side of lightly pickled cucumbers (ogurtsi) for a refreshing crunch. A glass of chilled Mors (cranberry drink) or a simple black tea complements the richness perfectly.