Greek · Main · Medium
Gemista
Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with herbed rice and slow baked until jammy. Summer in a baking dish.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Gemista, in 5 ideas
- Do not pack the filling tight, the rice needs room to swell.
- The potato wedges cook in the juices and are the cook's reward.
- Fresh mint is the signature flavor, dried will not do the same job.
- A long slow bake concentrates everything, do not rush it.
- Leftovers are excellent cold the next day.
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 4 bell peppers
- 200g long grain rice
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 100ml olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2 potatoes, cut in wedges (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Cut the tops off the tomatoes and peppers and scoop out the insides, reserving the tomato pulp.
- Soften the onion and garlic in olive oil, add the rice and toast 2 minutes, then stir in tomato paste and the reserved pulp.
- Off the heat, mix in the parsley, mint, salt and pepper.
- Stuff the vegetables loosely (the rice expands), replace the tops and arrange in a baking dish with the potato wedges.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil, add 200ml water to the dish and bake at 180C (350F) for 1 hour until tender and golden.
- Rest 15 minutes before serving, they are best warm, not hot.
Money saver. Use the ripest, cheapest summer tomatoes, this is the dish that makes them shine.