Serbian Stuffed Peppers - Punjene Paprike

There's nothing like stuffed peppers on a hot Texas night - especially when one bite can transport you all the way around the world. Thanks to my friend, Tamara Abdulovic, I was able to re-create this eastern European favorite, which interestingly, my great grandma from Macedonia used to cook once a week for my America-Yugoslavian grandfather. Completely Awesome.

Ingredients:

1 large onion or two small onions (yellow)

1 cup of rice (non-sticky)

5 green peppers

1 pound of ground beef

3 tbsp of sweet Hungarian red paprika

3 tbsp of Vegeta seasoning

1 tbsp of tomato paste

2 tbsp of flour

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

Water

Note: You can usually find Vegeta at a Serbian grocery store. However, if you are unable to, you may substitute Vegeta for your favorite seasonings, including: thyme, rosemary, etc... Remember that Vegeta is a vegetable seasoning so season accordingly if you are substituting.

Please also note that the recipe calls for sweet Hungarian paprika. This you can usually find at a specialty food store - it is important to not use regular paprika seasoning as it will severely alter the taste of the dish.

Directions:

To make the stuffing, dice the onion into small pieces and saute it until it turns a nice yellow color (about 10 minutes). Combine this onion with the ground beef and brown the meat until cooked through. Remove from the heat. At this point, add in the uncooked rice, vegeta, and 2 tbsp of paprika. Salt and pepper to taste.

At this point, your stuffing should look alot like this.Put the stuffing to the side to cool for a little bit. Take this time to wash your peppers. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds from the inside of the peppers. Be sure to keep the tops to cover the peppers again later.

Stuff your peppers and place them into the pot. Be sure to place them tightly together and do not leave wiggle room. Don't forget to replace the tops onto the peppers. Fill the pot with water around the peppers up just up to the beginning opening of the pepper tops.

Cook the peppers on medium to low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Make sure they do not boil the entire time or else the peppers will fall apart.

When the peppers are done, it is time to make the zaprska (roux). Heat the oil in a pan until it is hot and add the flour. Be sure to whisk quickly so that the roux does not burn or harden. Add the last tbsp of Hungarian Paprika, and the tomato paste. Whisk until the roux comes together. Then add 1 cup of water.

Remove the zaprska from the heat and add into the boiling pot holding your stuffed peppers. Bring to a boil and remove all from the heat. At this time, the color of the broth should be a reddish color.

Serve the peppers in a bowl and spoon the broth over the peppers (the soup is the key). You may also eat this with pita or some type of bread of your choice.

Bon Appetite!