Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)
Local name: Γεμιστά
In short: Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with herbed rice and baked in olive oil with potatoes until soft and slightly caramelized. It takes about 2 h in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 h 30 min
- Resting
- 15 min
- Total
- 2 h
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 525 kcal
Gemista means stuffed, and it refers to tomatoes and peppers filled with herbed rice and baked in plenty of olive oil. It is summer home cooking, made when tomatoes are ripe and the oven warms the whole house. Potatoes roast in the same pan and soak up the juices. Gemista taste best warm or at room temperature, with crusty bread.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Cut the tops off the tomatoes and peppers and keep them as lids. Scoop the flesh out of the tomatoes into a bowl and chop it or blend it to a pulp. Seed the peppers.
- Sprinkle the inside of each vegetable with a little salt and stand them snugly in a baking dish. Tuck the potato wedges into the gaps.
- Cook the onion in the oil for 6 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the rice for 1 minute. Add the tomato pulp, herbs, oregano, salt, pepper and raisins and cook 5 minutes.
- Fill each vegetable about three-quarters full, since the rice will swell. Put the lids on.
- Whisk the tomato paste into the water and pour it around the vegetables. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and oregano and drizzle everything with the remaining oil.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting once halfway, until the rice is tender, the vegetables are soft and the edges are browned. Add a little hot water if the pan dries out.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Choose ripe but firm tomatoes of similar size so they bake evenly. Fill only three-quarters full, or the rice has no room to expand and stays hard.
- Gemista taste even better the next day, once the juices have soaked into the rice.
Questions and answers
Can I make gemista ahead?
Yes. They are usually served warm or at room temperature, and taste better after resting. Keep for 3 days in the fridge and reheat gently.
Why is my rice undercooked?
The vegetables were overfilled or the pan was too dry. Fill them three-quarters full and keep a little liquid in the dish.
Can I stuff other vegetables?
Yes. Zucchini, small eggplants and large onions all work with the same filling. Add them to the same dish and check them for softness near the end of baking.
How long does it take to make Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)?
About 2 h in total: 30 min of preparation and 1 h 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Gemista (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers)?
About 525 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 76 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 525 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 76 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Sodium | 850 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
