One of the kings of stuffed vegetables is the stuffed onion. Always impressive, always feels like an effort was made, and for those unfamiliar with the secrets of the kitchen, it feels like a particularly festive opportunity.
But those who want to stuff an onion with a wealth of flavors know that stuffing it is easy – score the onion to the middle and leave it whole (that is, cut to the radius, not the diameter that would split it in two), blanch, and you'll have onion layers ready for stuffing. Here, Orly Peli-Bronshtein prepares it with stunning red rice.
Ingredients for 6 servings:
4 onions
For the filling:
2 cups red rice
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups water
1 chopped onion, fried until golden
1/2 cup coarsely chopped raisins
3 tablespoons chopped dill
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of clove
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Optional: add 200 grams of ground beef to the filling
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bottle tomato pasta sauce
2 cups broth or the onion cooking water
A pinch of cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons pomegranate concentrate
10 dried apricots
To serve: mint, dill, and parsley
Preparation:
1. Start with the filling: Sauté the rice in a pot with oil, add water, bring to a boil, and cook for 40–45 minutes, or until softened and the liquid is absorbed. Leave the pot closed for another 10 minutes.
2. Prepare the onions for stuffing: Remove the dry outer layers and score each onion lengthwise through all the layers to the center, so the onion remains whole.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the onions for 20 minutes, until softened. Remove and let cool. You can save the cooking water for the sauce.
4. Continue the filling: Add the remaining filling ingredients to the cooked red rice and mix.
5. Stuff the onion layers: Carefully separate the onions into layers and fill each layer with a heaping teaspoon of the filling. Close the layer around the filling and place on a plate.
6. Brown the stuffed onions (optional, but adds flavor): In a pan with a little oil, brown the stuffed onions in batches.
7. Prepare the sauce: Cook all the sauce ingredients in a wide, shallow pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. If needed, balance the acidity with a bit of sugar.
8. Add the stuffed onions to the sauce and cook together for 20–30 minutes after boiling.
Orly Peli-Bronshtein, in collaboration with Sugat.