Gemista
List of Ingredients
Gemista
Stuffed Vegetables
Gemista can be made in various versions, with either a vegetarian stuffing, or a meat stuffing. They are a tasty dish and they
also are very easy to prepare! You may stuff tomatoes, green peppers, aubergines and courgettes. First of all you have to
prepare the vegetables to be stuffed. Rinse them well. With a small sharp knife, cut a thin, round slice off the top, stem end of
each one and keep aside. Remove the seeds from the peppers. Place the tomatoes open-side down on a plate, in order to
drain them. Reserve their juice for the stuffing. Using a teaspoon, scoop most of the tomato pulp out, put it on a wooden board,
and shred it finely. Scooping aubergines and courgettes is not as simple as with tomatoes, it requires some patience. Slowly
and carefully start scooping out the middle fleshy part, with short circular movements. The further down you go, the more
difficult it becomes. One end ideally should remain intact. Depending on the recipe, it is possible that you have to use the pulp
for the stuffing. The given recipes are for four persons. If you are using only tomatoes allow 2 tomatoes per person, if you are
using tomatoes and green peppers allow 1 tomato and 1 green pepper per person. If you are also using aubergines and
courgettes replace one tomato with 1 aubergine or with 2 courgettes.
The most common stuffings in Greece are the Vegetarian Stuffing and the Meat Stuffing.
Ingredients for Stuffed Vegetables with Vegetarian Stuffing
8 large tomatoes, or any combination of vegetables as described
150 gr. long-grain rice
350 gr. onions
200 ml olive oil
250 gr. tomatoes, peeled and thickly grated
150 ml water
1 teacup chopped parsley
Prepare the vegetables to be stuffed and reserve their pulp. Place the rice in a bowl, add the onions, the fresh herbs, the
shredded tomato or aubergine or courgette pulp and any reserved juices or pulp, half the olive oil, season with salt and
pepper and mix well. Place the prepared vegetables in a deep baking dish, tightly packed. Fill each vegetable with the prepared
stuffing, but only three-quarters full, leaving room for the uncooked rice to expand. Cover with the reserved sliced round tops.
Pour the rest of the olive oil on top of each vegetable. Pour into the bottom of the dish the grated fresh tomatoes, mixed with
the water, season with salt and pepper all over and bake in a pre-heated oven, gas no. 5 (375 grades F/190 grades C), for 1.5
hours. Baste the vegetables at least twice, in order to keep them moist on the top.
If you are experienced with cooking Gemista you may also try to use Pine Nuts, almonds and Raisins for the stuffing, by using
less rice and onions.
Recipe
Ingredients for Stuffed Vegetables with Meat Stuffing
8 large tomatoes, or any combination of vegetables as described
60 gr. long-grain rice
1 medium onion finely sliced
5 tablespoons olive oil
350 gr. minced porc or beef
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons tomato puree diluted in 150 ml water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Prepare the vegetables to be stuffed and reserve their pulp. Sautee the onion gently in half the oil, until it gets a
light-golden color. Add the minced meat and fry together, stirring. Once the moisture from the meat has evaporated and
the meat has acquired a brown color, add the pulp reserved from the scooped vegetables. Season, add 150 ml water, cover and
cook gently for approximately 30 minutes. Add all the herbs at the end, together with the rice, and a little more water if it looks
too dry. Stir together and cook gently for a further 2-3 minutes only. Using a teaspoon, fill them three-quarters full with the
stuffing. Seal them with the reserved tops. Pour a little of the reserved olive oil on each stuffed vegetable, pour the diluted
tomato puree into the bottom of the dish and bake as before, basting them occasionally.
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