Serves 6-8 Ingredients: 11/2 kg white and black stuffing-type aubergine 1 kg medium-sized zucchini 1/2 kg mixture of firm tomato and green capsicum 2 cups rice (washed, drained) 2 onions (finely chopped) 2 onions thinly sliced 1 bunch each: parsley, coriander, dill 2 ripe red tomatoes (grated) 2-3 sliced tomatoes 1 cup tomato juice 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 chicken or beef bouillons 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp butter Salt + pepper + allspice + cumin + crushed dry mint Method: Prepare vegetables: Remove tips and ends of aubergine and zucchini, then core insides. Wash and rinse under running tap water and drain. Wash tomato and capsicum, drain, then with a sharp tip of a knife, make a horizontal slit-cut around their tops, until about to be removed, leaving a part intact, to cover after stuffing. Gently core tomatoes, reserving cored flesh aside. Deseed capsicum. Stuffing: In a large bowl; mix rice, chopped onion, parsley, coriander, dill, grated tomato, seasoning and olive oil. Mix well to combine and integrate. Start stuffing prepared vegetables without compacting them, allowing an empty unstuffed space of almost one inch to the top of each. In a large, deep cooking pan, spread sliced onion, filling its base. Top with tomato slices, layered in a pattern, to completely cover base of pan. Place stuffed vegetables inside the pan, on the onion-tomato bedding, arranging aubergine and zucchini in a vertical position, against side of pan. Support them from falling down horizontally by placing stuffed tomato and capsicum against them, holding them upright. This position helps you avoid stuffing to turn soggy, if falling downwards into the liquid, during the cooking process. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and add cored pieces of tomato, bouillons, tomato juice, paste and water to make a tomato sauce, enough to fill half cooking pan, when poured over stuffed vegetables. Season to taste. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for five minutes, over low heat, then pour gently over inside sides of pan, avoiding as much as possible the sauce to pour inside stuffed vegetables, lest they sog. Bring all pan contents to the boil, over medium heat. Allow to cook for 40-45 minutes only. Turn off the heat and allow to slightly cool in pan before serving. Serve hot with a green salad, and either grilled or breaded fried meat or chicken fillets, or kofta, or just with the salad aside.
