The sweetness of the peppers gives a perfect home to the extremely soft Majadara rice and when the sauce is burnt in the oven, it is the one that gives a wonderful envelope of flavor.
The result is a dish that everyone will love. It can be combined on the eve of the holiday as a light appetizer (think that there will probably also be soup and salads and of course a magnificent main dish) or even as a main dish of some peppers for vegans and vegetarians.
Ingredients: 9-11 pieces of ground pepper
For the filling: 2 cups of round rice (400 grams)
600 ml boiling water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 red onion cut into small cubes
1 crushed garlic clove
1/3 pack black lentils beluga sugata (165 grams)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley and cilantro (only parsley is possible)
For the sauce: 5 ripe tomatoes cut into quarters
1 purple onion, peeled and cut into eighths
8 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 zest from one lemon
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Wash the peppers and cut the "lid" across. Clean the inside of the pepper from seeds.
2. For the sauce: heat the oven to a high temperature of 220 degrees. Arrange tomatoes, onion and garlic on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for about 25 minutes or until the tomatoes turn golden and soften. Remove from the oven and transfer the vegetables to a blender or food processor (remove the garlic from the skin). Add tomato paste with 2 cups of water, cumin, olive oil, fresh herbs (1 tablespoon), cinnamon, salt and pepper. Grind well, adjust seasoning and set aside.
3. For the filling: in a large pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the onion and garlic for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper.
4. For the lentils: heat lentils and 3 cups of water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Cook for about 12 minutes or until they soften, and filter. Place at room temperature.
5. In a medium pot, heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the onion for about 4 minutes, until it is slightly golden. Add the rice and lightly fry for about a minute. Season with a teaspoon of salt and pour 600 ml of boiling water over it. Cook over low heat, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for about ten minutes.
6. Mix the rice with the herbs, 1/4 cup of the sauce (from the roasted tomatoes), lentils and lemon zest and mix. Adjust the seasoning and fill the peppers well (press the filling in a little).
7. To assemble: Arrange the peppers in a large pot and pour the sauce over the peppers. Cover each pepper with the appropriate lid. Cover the pot and cook for about an hour on low heat, until the peppers are completely soft. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.