Home | Veggie Table - Show #21

Veggie Table - Show #21

Stuffed Pepper Loaf

1 -- Large Italian loaf, sliced on top and hollowed out (reserve bread pieces)
3 tbsp (50 mL) -- Olive oil
½ each -- Red pepper, green pepper, diced
1 cup (250 mL) -- Basmati rice, washed
2 cups (500 mL) -- Water
½ tsp (2 mL) -- Cumin seeds
½ tsp (2 mL) -- Mustard seeds
1 -- Onion, diced
1 pinch -- Saffron
¼ cup (50 mL) -- Canned chickpeas, drained
¼ cup (50 mL) -- Cooked brown lentils, drained
¼ cup (50 mL) -- Melted butter or olive oil to brush inside bread
3-5 cloves -- Garlic, peeled & finely minced
To taste... -- Salt and fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil and when hazy, drop in cumin and mustard seeds. Immediately add onion. When light brown, add washed basmati rice and saffron threads. Fry until grains are translucent. Add water and salt. Wait until this comes to a boil and turn heat down. Let simmer with lid on until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Now add the peppers, chickpeas and lentils. Mix well, cover again. While this is cooking, prepare garlic butter (oil) to baste. Heat the oil or butter and add garlic. Cook about 3-5 minutes until garlic is light brown. Now brush inside of loaf including the top of it, and fill with rice mixture. Cover, and brush outsides of loaf. Bake in oven about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.