Mahshi filfil (stuffed capsicums)
Capsicums Stuffed with Herbed Rice and Minced Meat
Mahshi means stuffed. Capsicums are filled with rice, herbs, baharat and a little mince and simmered in tomato sauce until the rice swells and is tender.
The chef's recipe fills 12 bullhorn capsicums with a mix of 200 g rice, herbs, baharat and 200 g mince and simmers them covered for 50 minutes in passata and stock.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 200 g short-grain rice
- 1 large tomato
- About 40 g coriander leaves and stems
- About 40 g flat-leaf parsley leaves
- About 15 g dill fronds
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tsp baharat
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 200 g fatty minced beef or lamb
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 12 bullhorn capsicums, or 8 to 10 small ones, stalks and seeds removed
For the sauce
- 300 ml passata
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 250 ml water
Method
- Soak the rice Soak the rice in salted water for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.
- Make the filling Halve the tomato and squeeze out the pulp. Process the tomato, herbs, onion and garlic until finely chopped, then mix with the rice, spices, mince and olive oil.
- Stuff Spoon the mixture into the capsicums, leaving 1 cm at the top. Stand them in a large heavy saucepan.
- Make the sauce Bring the passata, stock and water to the boil and pour over the capsicums.
- Cook Bring back to the boil, cover and simmer on low heat for about 50 minutes until the rice is tender and the mince is cooked through, with no pink. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Food safety
Minced meat must be cooked through, with no pink and piping hot. Wash hands, boards and utensils after handling raw mince. Cool leftovers quickly and reheat until piping hot.
Leave room at the top; the rice swells.