Mum's Yemista (Greek Stuffed Vegetables With Rice)

"Yemista is a common dish during summer. Its great either warm or cold. You can stuff any vegetables you like, some use to stuff potatoes, large portabellos , bell peppers any colour, grapes leaves and even zucchini's flowers, the last ones are hard to find but they are the best. Also, in the filling some add feta, great!"
 
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photo by Nikoma photo by Nikoma
photo by Nikoma
photo by katia photo by katia
Ready In:
2hrs
Ingredients:
15
Serves:
6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Cut off tops of tomatoes (retain them) and scoop out the pulp (retaining as well). Cut off tops of peppers and remove seeds (retain tops). Cut lengthwise the eggplants and with a spoon scoop out the pulp retaining as well. Cut the end of zucchini and also scoop out the pulp, retaining.
  • Place the vegetables in a pan packed closely but not squashed.
  • Take the pulp of all the vegetables and process it until pureed. Add in a bowl the rice,the vegetable puree, half of the olive oil, the garlic, the onion, the parsley, the spearmint, the salt and pepper. Mix using a spoon.
  • Stuff all the vegetables and place the tops of tomatoes and peppers.
  • Cut the potatoes to byte pieces and spread them between the vegetables.
  • Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, salt again the vegetables and add the rest of olive oil. Combine 1 cup of water.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (180°C) for approx 1.5 hour.
  • If you have leftover filling, add in the pan and put on the top some diced tomato. Its the best! I usually make more filling in order to have many plain rice!

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Reviews

  1. Wonderful flavors and colors! I, of course, added some ground turkey browned with the fennel, and a touch of chicken broth in the cooking water. The mint was fabulous! Thanks.
     
  2. I had a terrible time with this recipe, but it still gets 4 stars because it tasted wonderful. Firstly, I couldnt get spearmint ANYWHERE, dried or fresh, so I used fresh mint, it was really too mild, but I corrested that by giving each vegetable a squirt of mint sauce before serving. The main trouble I had was the cooking. I checked a few other yemista recipes, and none of them said to cover the baking dish, so I duly popped it in the oven. After 2 hours the rice was still hard, but the veggies were cooked. I covered the whole thing with alfoil, and gave it abother hour, and finally the rice was soft. While it tasted greatlast night, it was too late for our dinner, so I reheated it for tonite, and the taste was 5 stars!!! Even my husband commented on it, and usually just eats:) So Katia, thank you for a good recipe, a keeper, but in future I will cover the yemista for the first hour, and then turn up the heat a bit to singed the veggies!
     
  3. First time I tried Yemista w/o meat and we all thought it was a great dish! Light, yet very tasty and satisfying! Baked up perfectly in the oven~ this will be made often! Thanks Chef Katia!
     
  4. This was soooooo good! So homey. I used basmati rice and had no problem at all with the cook time (and didn't cover the dishes) I used regular mint and also added a few squirts of lemon which was a nice touch. This comes together a lot quicker then one might expect. I think it took me 30 minutes to prep before going into the oven. Well worth the beautiful finished product. I think I might add in some chopped nuts the next time just for a bit of texture, but this is definitely a keeper!
     
  5. This is very delicious, lovey mint flavour using fresh mint from the garden. I make this often using a variety of different vegetables when we are looking for something vegetarian. I have used zucchini, orange bell peppers are our favorite, plum tomatoes, onions. Sometimes I add mushroom to the stuffing, tomato paste depending what stuffed vegetables I have to leave out. I use Basmati rice, a good extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, plus the rest of ingredients. I sea salt the vegetables before and after stuffing. I have never added the potatoes as we have started to avoid them for allergy reasons. I cover the pan the whole time as tightly as I can with aluminum foil. I never use bread as we are gluten & yeast free. I sometimes add a bit of homemade chicken stock with the water in the pan, but water works fine on its own. I serve this dish with Balkan or other thick yogurt. I will make this again & again.
     
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Photos: From Disneyland Paris!!! Hello everyone. I'm hooked at Recipezaar since 2004 but recently became a member.I love reading your recipes and trying them out! I live in Greece and I work as an accountant. From your recipes I' m learning about differents ways of cooking. All the recipes that I'm going to post are already made and enjoyed by me and my family and friends. I don't like posting recipes that I don't Know how they taste.Thats a promise!!! <img src="http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j166/ZaarNicksMom/Animation6.gif"> <img src="http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j166/ZaarNicksMom/PACsticker-Adopted.jpg"> <img src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/Permanent%20Collection/PACSpring09Iwasadopted.jpg"> <img src="http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg271/MrsTeny/Permanent%20Collection/PACSpring09Participation.jpg"> <img src="http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c105/jewelies/fishheads-1.jpg"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PACfall08partic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c105/jewelies/boronia.jpg"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/PAC08Main.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/adoptedspring08.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/Adopted1smp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/smPACp.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/projects/200_PACpic.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/projects/pacbanner.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/200_artistrichardneuman-art-prints_.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/untitled.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"> <img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/beartag_1_1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"><img src="http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/adopted_1_1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"> <img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/World%20Tour/ZWT2.gif"> <img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/DUCHESS13/Zaar%20World%20Tour%203/ZWT3-Participation.gif"> <img src="http://www.satsleuth.com/cooking/RecipeSwap2.JPG" width=70%> <img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/484938/Spelling-Bee-stick2jpg.jpg">
 
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