Punjena paprika

Punjena paprika in Croatian and Töltött paprika in Hungarian for "stuffed peppers", is a Croatian and Hungarian dish consisting of green paprika or bell peppers filled with minced meat and rice. The dish is popular in Hungary and in Croatia, in the the Zagorje region (influenced by Hungarian cuisine). There are even many variations of the dish across the Balkans.

The meat, usually ground beef, is mixed with egg, rice, diced red onions, salt, herbs and spices, like garlic, ground black pepper, ground paprika, parsley, bay leaf, rosemary and black peppercorn. The filling can sometimes contain mushrooms, mixed meats or cabbage. Pepper tops are removed and peppers are washed and seeded, loosely stuffed with the meat mixture and laid out in a large pot (tops facing upp). Enough water is added to completely cover the peppers. Celery, cabbage and a whole onion may be added to the stew. The stew is boiled until the peppers become visibly soft on the outside and water reduces down to half. The heat is reduced and tomato paste, or even pasta sauce, can be added and mixed into the stew. The thickening agent for the stew is browned roux or flour and water. This dish is served like it is and eaten with bread or with mashed potatoes and salad but wide varieties exist in serving this dish.