This recipe for peppers stuffed with freekeh (Fil fil mahshi bil freekeh) is from chef Joudie Kalla’s Palestine on a Plate. Simple to make and served with a generous dollop of thick Greek yogurt on the side they’re sure to become a firm favourite.
Serves 2. Prep time 20 mins. Cooking time 35 mins.
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers, halved lengthways and deseeded
- 1 small courgette, chopped
- 1 spring onion, diced
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- 100g freekeh
- 500ml tomato passata
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 50ml olive oil
- a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- a small bunch of fresh chives
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C fan (210°C/415°F/Gas 6–7). Place the cut peppers in a deep baking tray.
- Mix the remaining vegetables with the freekeh in a large bowl and add half the passata. Season with half the salt and the pepper, and stir through the olive oil and herbs. Use a spoon to fill the pepper halves with the mixture.
- Pour the rest of the passata around the peppers in the tray, adding about 360ml water and season with the remaining salt. Cover the tray tightly with foil – this will create steam inside to cook the freekeh.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until the freekeh is cooked. Use a small teaspoon to try a bit of freekeh; if it needs more time, return the tray to the oven for another 5–10 minutes.
- Serve with some of the warm tomato passata from the baking tray and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Tip: If you have any stuffing mixture left over, which often happens as peppers are different sizes, simply place it in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2.5cm. Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes to make a lovely thick, grainy soup.
You can find more delicious recipes in Joudie’s books Palestine On a Plate and Baladi.
Shop for ingredients
Flame roasted with a smoky flavour for soups, salads, risottos and pilafs
-
Great Taste Award
Hand-picked and rain-fed with a warm peppery taste
-
Soil Association
-
Great Taste Award
-
Fairtrade
