Lebanese Stuffed Peppers with Rice, Mint and Parsley (Mahshi Felfel)

About This Recipe

Mahshi, the broad family of stuffed vegetables found throughout Lebanese cooking, includes peppers filled with a rice mixture that leans heavily on fresh herbs, parsley and mint especially, along with warm spices like allspice and cinnamon. Unlike the baked, cheese-topped stuffed peppers common elsewhere, Lebanese mahshi felfel are traditionally simmered gently in a light tomato and lemon broth on the stovetop, which keeps the peppers tender and infuses the rice with tang as it finishes cooking. The filling is only partially cooked before stuffing since the rice needs room to expand as it absorbs the simmering broth; overfilling or overcooking the rice beforehand results in split peppers or mushy rice. A layer of sliced tomato and a drizzle of olive oil on top of the peppers as they simmer helps keep the tops moist. Ground lamb or beef is traditional, but a herb-and-rice-only version is common during Lent and in vegetarian households, since the parsley and mint carry so much flavor on their own.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 6small bell peppers(tops cut off, seeded)
• 1 cupshort-grain rice(rinsed)
• 300 gground lamb or beef(optional)
• 1 cupparsley(finely chopped)
• 0.25 cupfresh mint(finely chopped)
• 1tomato(finely diced, plus 1 sliced for topping)
• 0.5 tspground allspice
• 0.25 tspground cinnamon
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 2 cupstomato juice or diluted tomato paste
• 2 tbsplemon juice
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the filling

   Combine rice, ground meat if using, parsley, mint, diced tomato, allspice, cinnamon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl, mixing gently by hand.

2. 2

   Stuff the peppers

   Fill each pepper about three-quarters full, leaving room for the rice to expand as it cooks. Don't pack tightly.

   Overfilling is the most common mistake — the rice needs space or it will split the pepper as it swells.

3. 3

   Arrange in the pot

   Stand the peppers upright, snugly packed, in a wide pot. Top each with a slice of tomato and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

4. 4

   Add the braising liquid

   Whisk tomato juice, lemon juice, garlic and remaining salt together, then pour around (not over) the peppers until the liquid comes about a third of the way up their sides.

5. 5

   Simmer gently

   Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook 40-45 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the rice inside is fully cooked.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the peppers rest off heat for 10 minutes before serving, spooning some of the tomato braising liquid over each one.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian mahshi: omit the meat and add a handful of chopped walnuts or pine nuts to the filling for texture.

• •

  Add a pinch of dried mint along with fresh for a more intense, traditional herb flavor.

• •

  Use small zucchini or grape leaves alongside the peppers for a mixed mahshi platter, as many Lebanese families do.

Storage

Refrigerate in the braising liquid for up to 3 days; the peppers absorb more flavor over time. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of water or extra tomato juice.

Frequently Asked Questions