Here’s the recipe for Stuffed Onions with Meat and Rice in Tomato Sauce 🍅🧅 — a comforting, flavorful Middle Eastern-style dish!
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Ingredients:
For the onions:
- 5–6 large white or yellow onions
- Salt (for boiling water)
For the stuffing:
- 300 g ground beef or lamb
- ½ cup uncooked rice (washed and drained)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup hot water or broth
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Instructions:
1. Prepare the onions:
- Peel the onions and cut a small slit lengthwise (just to the center — not all the way through).
- Boil them in salted water for about 8–10 minutes, until they start to soften and separate into layers.
- Drain and carefully separate the outer layers (these will be used for stuffing).
2. Prepare the filling:
- In a bowl, mix together ground meat, rice, chopped onion, olive oil, and seasonings (paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, parsley).
- Combine well until evenly mixed.
3. Stuff the onions:
- Take each onion layer and place a spoonful of filling inside.
- Roll it gently into a cylinder shape and place it seam-side down in a deep pan or baking dish.
4. Make the tomato sauce:
- In a saucepan, heat olive oil and add tomato puree, salt, pepper, sugar, and broth/water.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour the sauce over the stuffed onions.
5. Cook:
- Option 1 (Stovetop): Cover and simmer on low heat for 40–45 minutes, until the rice is tender and the sauce thickens.
- Option 2 (Oven): Cover the dish with foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45–50 minutes.
6. Serve:
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve warm with yogurt, bread, or a green salad.