Serbian · Main course

Punjene suve paprike

Rehydrated dried red peppers hold a savoury filling of mixed ground meat, rice and softened vegetables, then braise under cover in tomato cooking liquid until the pepper walls are tender and the centre is safely hot.

Serbian National Dishes
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Punjene suve paprike
Yield 8 stuffed dried peppers, 4 servings
Preparation time 35 minutes
Cooking time 68 minutes
Passive time 15 minutes
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Serbian Dried Peppers Stuffed with Meat and Rice

Dried peppers change the character of a stuffed-pepper dish before the filling is even considered. Their sweetness is deeper and more concentrated than that of fresh peppers, while the skin becomes supple and almost silky after rehydration and braising. In this version, that concentrated pepper flavour is paired with a restrained meat-and-rice filling rather than a heavy sauce, so the dried fruit remains easy to recognise in every forkful.

The preparation belongs naturally to the food of southern Serbia, where dried peppers are kept for cooking well beyond the fresh season. Vranje cooking includes both fasting and meat-filled stuffed dried peppers, so the name does not identify one universal filling. This recipe fixes one reproducible meat version: equal-purpose mixed ground beef and pork, white rice, onion, carrot, garlic and paprika, finished in a light tomato liquid.

The first decision is how far to soften the peppers. They need only enough hot-water soaking to bend and open without cracking. Leaving them until they become floppy makes filling harder, not easier, because the walls tear under the spoon. Once pliable, each pepper is packed loosely. The rice is still only briefly toasted in the pan and needs room to expand as it absorbs the braising liquid.

Partly cooking the filling has two jobs. The onion and carrot lose their raw edge, while the meat breaks into fine pieces that distribute around the rice instead of forming one dense plug. Garlic and paprika are added after the meat has changed colour so their aroma is not cooked away. The final food-safety decision still happens in the casserole: the centre of a stuffed pepper must reach 74 °C.

Covered baking is what turns separate ingredients into the finished dish. Steam softens the dried pepper, the rice swells in the surrounding tomato liquid, and the filling takes on the pepper's concentrated aroma. The casserole should remain moist throughout. If the liquid is allowed to boil away too early, the rice can stay firm while the exposed pepper edges become leathery.

Practical

Practical

  • Soften, do not soak to collapse. Stop when a pepper bends easily and its opening can be widened without splitting.
  • Leave expansion space. Spoon in the filling without pressing it hard; the rice needs room to swell.
  • Keep the casserole covered. Moist heat is essential until the rice and pepper walls are fully tender.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Peppers and filling

  • 8 pieces dried red peppers — stems and loose seeds removed; about 120 g total
  • 500 g mixed ground beef and pork — chilled; roughly equal parts
  • 80 g white rice — rinsed and drained
  • 200 g yellow onion — finely diced
  • 80 g carrot — finely diced
  • 10 g garlic — finely chopped
  • 30 g lard — divided
  • 5 g sweet ground paprika
  • 8 g fine salt — divided
  • 2 g ground black pepper

Braising liquid

  • 200 ml tomato passata
  • 800 ml water — hot
Directions

Directions

Soften and fill

  1. Soften the dried peppers. Set the 8 dried peppers in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water for 15 minutes. Drain when the walls bend without cracking; do not leave them soaking until fragile.

  2. Build the vegetable base. Melt 20 g of the lard in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the 200 g onion and 80 g carrot and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrot has softened at the edges.

  3. Part-cook the meat. Add the 500 g chilled mixed ground beef and pork. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 8 minutes, breaking up the meat so no large clumps remain. The loss of raw pink colour at this stage is not the final safety check.

  4. Season and coat the rice. Stir in the 80 g rinsed rice, 10 g garlic, 5 g sweet paprika, 5 g of the salt and 2 g black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, until the rice looks glossy and the paprika smells fragrant rather than toasted dark.

  5. Fill without packing. Spoon the mixture into the softened peppers over about 10 minutes, dividing it evenly and leaving a little room at each opening. Arrange the filled peppers snugly in a lidded casserole.

Braise

  1. Add the braising liquid. Mix the 200 ml passata with all 800 ml hot water and the remaining 3 g salt. Pour it around, not forcefully into, the peppers and dot the top with the remaining 10 g lard.

  2. Braise until tender and safe. Cover and bake at 180 °C for 50 minutes. The pepper walls should be tender and the rice fully swollen. Check the centre of a representative stuffed pepper with a clean thermometer and continue cooking if necessary until it reaches at least 74 °C.

Practical

Practical

Serving

Spoon a little of the tomato-rich braising liquid around each portion. Two peppers make one substantial serving, and the cooking juices keep the softened dried pepper walls moist on the plate.

Advance preparation

The cooked filling may be cooled quickly and refrigerated at 4 °C or colder for up to one day. Reheat is unnecessary before stuffing; assemble the peppers cold and put the casserole into the oven promptly.

Storage and reheating

Move leftovers to shallow containers within 2 hours and keep them at 4 °C or colder for 3–4 days. Reheat only the amount needed, with enough cooking liquid to prevent drying, until the centre reaches 74 °C.

Variation

All ground beef can replace the mixed beef-pork meat. The result is a little firmer and leaner, but the rice ratio, braising method and 74 °C final safety target remain unchanged.

Control points

Control points

  • Peppers split while fillingGuidance: . Cause: they were over-soaked or packed too tightly.Adjustment: Correction: soak only until flexible and spoon filling in loosely.
  • Rice remains firmGuidance: . Cause: too little braising liquid or an uncovered casserole.Adjustment: Correction: add a small amount of hot water around the peppers, cover, and continue baking.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving size2 stuffed peppers
  • Calories430 kcal
  • Carbohydrates37 g
  • Protein25 g
  • Fat21 g
  • Fibre6 g
  • Sodium980 mg

These figures are approximate and can vary with ingredient brands, trimming, drainage, retained cooking fat and exact portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Allergens. No major allergen is inherent in the listed ingredients; check commercial passata and ground-meat handling for cross-contact if relevant.

Food safety. Ground-meat filling must reach at least 74 °C in the centre in this stuffed casserole preparation. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4 °C or colder and reheat to 74 °C.

FAQ

FAQ

Why are the peppers soaked before filling?

Dry pepper walls are brittle. A short hot-water soak restores enough flexibility for filling while leaving them strong enough to survive the braise.

Can the peppers be packed tightly?

No. The rice expands as it takes up liquid, so a tightly packed pepper is more likely to split and can leave the centre dense.

Result: Tender dried pepper wrapped around a moist, loose-grained meat-and-rice filling with a light tomato broth.

Key: The decisive control is moisture: soften only to pliable, fill loosely and keep the casserole covered until the rice is tender.