Sights, snacks and sun in Sydney

Passport & Plate - Palneni Chushki - Bulgarian Stuffed Capsicums

Ingredients
Ingredients
7-8 capsicums or 10-12 banana chilies
1 finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped carrots
250 grams of veal mince
250 grams of pork mince
1 cup of rice
2 cups of stock or water
2 tbs chubritsa (a Bulgarian herb, often known as 'Savory')
1 tbs paprika
A pinch of cinnamon
1 tbs Salt
1 tbs Pepper
Olive Oil
For garnishing - to taste
Natural yogurt
Parsley
Crushed garlic

 

How to prepare this recipe
Take the capsicums (or banana chilies) and cut the tops off, removing the seeds and membranes from the inside. Make sure to keep these tops as you will need them later in the recipe.

Sauté the onion in a pan until translucent, add the chopped carrot and then the 500 grams of combined mince. Mix well.

Add the salt, pepper and chubritsa to the mixture and cover for five minutes.

Add the rice and 2 cups of stock or water, stir well and add a tiny pinch of cinnamon. Cover and reduce heat to low, then leave to cook for about 10 minutes.

Next turn off the heat and leave for another 20 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb the water.

Fill the capsicums with the mixture, making sure to leave space for the rice to expand (don’t stuff in as much as can fit). Place the stuffed capsicums in a large saucepan or tray so they fit snugly side by side and pour a little bit of olive oil over the capsicums.

There are two methods to cook the capsicums once stuffed; one of my grandmothers (or Baba’s as they’re known in Bulgaria) covered the pan and cooked them over medium heat on the stove top, basting every 25 minutes, for one hour or until capsicums are tender and rice is cooked through.

My other Baba’s method is to oven bake the capsicums in a tray at 180C for 25 minutes until the skin appears slightly charred and then bake them on the other side for another 10-15 minutes until the skin is easily peeled off the capsicum. (At this point there should be a deliciously aromatic scent wafting through your entire house!)

Both of these methods result in deliciousness; generally the stove top recipe uses more meat whilst the oven method uses more rice.

Leave the tray to cool for five minutes, then garnish with yogurt, garlic and parsley to your preferred taste.

Ready, set, eat and enjoy!

 

The story behind this recipe
Palneni Chushki (??????? ?????), or Stuffed Capsiums, Bulgarian style, hold a special place in my heart, and my palate. Every time I have this dish it feels like coming home. Being born in Bulgaria, I remember the delicious smells in both of my grandma’s kitchens, cooking their own versions of this recipe and the incredible homely scent of the cooking capsicums wafting through their houses. Having since moved to Australia and lived here for the majority of my life; I still get such a thrill whenever my mum makes her mother’s recipe, and I feel instantly transported back to Bulgaria to my grandmother’s kitchen table; helping her scoop the rice and mince mixture into the capsicums and waiting for them to cook; peeking in the oven every five minutes to check if maaaayybe they’re ready, maybe almost, maybe now!

This dish is undoubtedly popular in many countries around the world under different names, but ask any Bulgarian and they will tell you it’s one of the country’s most treasured traditional dishes. There are many variations on the theme: the capsicums can be green or red, large and plump or long and thin, fresh or dried, with or without meat, etc. During the hot summer months in Bulgaria, you can see garlands of red peppers hanging in front of typical Bulgarian houses, which are hung together to dry in order to be used for stuffing in the winter.

What makes this dish such a source of national pride and a true Bulgarian culinary staple is the herb 'chubritsa.' You’d be hard pressed to find a Bulgarian who didn’t have chubritsa on hand in their kitchen! This spice is available from special Eastern-European delis and spice stores and really grounds the flavour of the stuffed capsicums; the scent alone is enough to entice me to gorge on at least two or three at a time! There is something so comforting and warm about this dish, it reminds me of a totally different place and culture, especially as the herb 'chubritsa' is rarely used in Australian cuisines.