Serbian Stuffed Peppers - Punjene Paprike



Ingredients:
1 large onion or two small onions
1 cup of rice
5 green peppers
1 pound of ground beef
3 tbsp of sweet "aleva"red paprika
3 tbsp of Vegeta seasoning
1 tbsp of tomato paste
2 tbsp of flour
2 tbsp of vegetable oil

Method:

To make the stuffing, dice the onion into small pieces and saute it until it turns a nice yellow color (about 10 minutes). Combine this onion with the ground beef and brown the meat until cooked through. Remove from the heat. At this point, add in the uncooked rice, vegeta, and 2 tbsp of paprika. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put the stuffing to the side to cool for a little bit. Take this time to wash your peppers. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds from the inside of the peppers. Be sure to keep the tops to cover the peppers again later.

Stuff your peppers and place them into the pot. Be sure to place them tightly together and do not leave wiggle room. Don't forget to replace the tops onto the peppers. Fill the pot with water around the peppers up just up to the beginning opening of the pepper tops.

Cook the peppers on medium to low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Make sure they do not boil the entire time or else the peppers will fall apart.

When the peppers are done, it is time to make the zaprska (roux). Heat the oil in a pan until it is hot and add the flour. Be sure to whisk quickly so that the roux does not burn or harden. Add the last tbsp of Hungarian Paprika, and the tomato paste. Whisk until the roux comes together. Then add 1 cup of water.

Remove the zaprska from the heat and add into the boiling pot holding your stuffed peppers. Bring to a boil and remove all from the heat. At this time, the color of the broth should be a reddish color.
Enjoy!