Tunisian stuffed bell peppers

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with many colleagues from the country of Tunisia. Some of my best working experiences and friendships have this lovely country to thank. Tunisians, in my experience are authentic and persistent in the best of ways. They are passionate about their culture, and that of other North African countries, and fiercely proud of their food. Visiting Tunis in 2022, I was not surprised to be welcomed warmly and to enjoy every meal shared, both for the amazing food, but also the amazing company.

Ya Amna

Back in 2021, I went on a search to find a cookbook that would allow me to learn a bit more about Tunisian cooking. I stumbled on a book called Ya Amna, From Djerba to Israel. It is more than just a cookbook, but a story of a woman born in Djerba, a Tunisian island, who grows up in Israel. Her mother (Amna) manages to keep their Tunisian heritage alive by keeping the aromas and tastes of their Tunisian food ever present in their home. The book is a beautiful journey for its’ author and has been a challenge for me to try new dishes and flavors. Djerba has a rich history worth reading about, and is on my list of places to see, as I am told the best Tunisian food and beaches are on the island of Djerba.

What makes these stuffed peppers different?

I have made stuffed peppers many, many times over the years. There is always rice and beef and some sort of tomato involved, baked in the oven. These peppers amp the flavor by using numerous vegetables, herbs and spices, and are cooked on the stovetop in a sauce. I was not sure about this method, but they came out amazing! I made a few recipe tweaks, but this will be my go-to stuffed pepper recipe for evermore!

Stuffed Peppers (Felfel Mahshi)

Instructions

Soak rice for 1 hour and drain

Combine carrots, zucchini, onion, herbs and tomato in large bowl. Add in the rice, beef, oil and spices and combine thoroughly, without overworking the mixture

Cut tops off the pepper, remove seeds and large veins from inside

Fill the pepper with rice/beef mixture, leaving 1/2 inch at top for expansion. Rest top of pepper back on top

Arrange peppers tightly in large pot

Prepare the sauce, by mixing last 4 ingredients and pour over the peppers. Add additional water, if necessary to just cover the peppers

Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer. Cook until most of the water has been absorbed and beef and rice mix is cooked through, roughly 45-60 mins

Tips

The original recipe called for 1/2 pound of beef. I upped this to a full pound, to get a beefier mixture. The recipe also called for 3/4 cup of oil, which I reduced to 1/2 cup with success. Add until you think the mixture looks homogenous.

I used 7 bell peppers, because that was all I could fit in the Dutch oven that I used. Recipe calls for 10 peppers. Note that once stuffed, because I used fewer peppers, and also added a 1/2 lb. more beef, I had mixture left. I put aside and used to stuff grape leaves on another day.

I used a food processor to “grate” the zucchini and carrot and then squeezed a lot of the moisture out before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Likewise, the onion and other herbs can be chopped in the processor together to make quick work of it.

ENJOY! If you like this recipe you might also like my recipe for Polish Stuffed Cabbage