Cut the tops off peppers, remove seeds and membranes. Rinse and set aside.
Make the Filling:
In a bowl, mix ground meat, uncooked rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Stuff each pepper loosely (rice will expand while cooking). Shape any leftover filling into small meatballs (called gombóc).
Cook the Peppers:
In a large pot, arrange stuffed peppers (and meatballs if any) upright.
Add enough water or broth to nearly cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook 40–45 minutes until rice and meat are cooked. Remove peppers carefully and set aside.
Make the Sauce:
In a separate pan, heat oil and sauté onion until translucent.
Stir in flour and cook briefly until light golden (this is a rántás – Hungarian roux).
Remove from heat, stir in paprika, then gradually whisk in tomato juice and water to avoid lumps.
Return to heat, add bay leaf, simmer 10–15 minutes, season with salt and sugar to balance acidity.
Combine:
Pour sauce over the cooked peppers and simmer everything together for 10 minutes so flavors meld.
Serve:
Serve hot with fresh bread or a dollop of sour cream on the side.
💡 Tips:
Peppers: Hungarian wax peppers are ideal, but yellow bell peppers work well too.
Rice: Don’t overfill peppers — the rice will swell.
Flavor: A touch of sugar in the sauce is traditional and balances the tomato’s acidity.
Leftovers: Taste even better the next day as flavors deepen.
Would you like me to include a vegetarian version (rice + mushrooms + herbs) that’s very popular in Hungary during Lent? 🌱🇭🇺
