Dear Hivers! Today I decided to present you a delicious traditional Russian dish - bell peppers stuffed with minced meat and rice.

![IMG_20200920_112635.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/4Sb1PHpg-IMG_20200920_112635.jpg)

This week my friends gave me fourteen bell peppers from their garden and I decided to stuff them. I like cooking this dish firstly - because it is tasty and secondly - because you can cook some of prepared pieces later, just put them in your freezer.

![IMG_20200920_094534.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/bgoR5c8V-IMG_20200920_094534.jpg)

To start, rinse the peppers, cut out their tops and clean the inside from seeds and soft partitions.

![IMG_20200910_103702.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/7eYNZEXY-IMG_20200910_103702.jpg)

When I see the prepared peppers, I can decide how much rice I need. I must confess I can never do it properly and have some left. That is why I usually buy some extra minced meat. What I do with it? You can find it in the end of this post.

![IMG_20200910_110144.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/0VJHUDye-IMG_20200910_110144.jpg)

I boil rice in salted water till it is half ready. I do not rinse it but you can do that if you want.

![IMG_20200920_064256.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/jAATJUEl-IMG_20200920_064256.jpg)

My peppers are quite big, so I bought a kilo of minced meat (half of pork and half of beef).

![IMG_20200910_104620.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/nwd9TJg8-IMG_20200910_104620.jpg)

I chop onions and garlic. I took two big onions. In the photo you can see one but I decided to add one more in the process.

![IMG_20200910_104938.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/vOOrO7Bi-IMG_20200910_104938.jpg)

![IMG_20200910_103829.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/bWOp8RIy-IMG_20200910_103829.jpg)

Then add salt, black pepper and spices by taste. I usually add curry, basil and marjoram but you can use any of your favourite spices which go well with rice and meat.

![IMG_20200910_105854.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/oqm1ITA3-IMG_20200910_105854.jpg)

![IMG_20200920_094725.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/Ko0zhOJL-IMG_20200920_094725.jpg)

![IMG_20200910_105729.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/U1xXFURz-IMG_20200910_105729.jpg)

Now it is time for ***my first secret step:*** when you mix meat with spices, add some cold water. It will make the meat in the ready dish much softer.

![IMG_20200910_112132.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/Kp3MlAbn-IMG_20200910_112132.jpg)

Mix the meat and rice and stuff the peppers.  I do it with my hand, putting the filling in quite tightly.

![IMG_20200912_135908.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/fBVElbOQ-IMG_20200912_135908.jpg)

I have some very ripe tomatoes for the sauce but you can use a ready made one from a shop.

I peel the tomatoes and chop.

![IMG_20200912_140220.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/OnMby2ag-IMG_20200912_140220.jpg)

![IMG_20200912_135009.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/Oym0rlDt-IMG_20200912_135009.jpg)

Then I put the pieces of the tomatoes on a frying pan and let them boil to get a tomato paste (sauce).

![IMG_20200912_140415.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/wH8cL5nM-IMG_20200912_140415.jpg)

Add some salt and a half teaspoon of sugar to the tomato paste. Sugar is ***a secret ingradient*** which makes the tast of the dish softer.

I put the stuffed peppers into the bowl of my multicooker trying to place them with filling up, add some water to half-cover the peppers. After that I put the tomato sauce on the top of the stuffed peppers. You must have it enough to cover them.

![IMG_20200912_141202.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/pt6QDRuo-IMG_20200912_141202.jpg)

Finally, put the sour cream on the top of the peppers.

![IMG_20200912_141634.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/hbC0xaBA-IMG_20200912_141634.jpg)

You can mix the tomato paste with the sour creem before adding them to a pan or put them separately, like in my case - it does not matter.

Then I cook the dish in my multicooker for about an hour.

![IMG_20200912_141756.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/xsSlEjGr-IMG_20200912_141756.jpg)
The dish is ready.
        ENJOY YOUR MEAL!
![IMG_20200920_112454.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/4U3dEul2-IMG_20200920_112454.jpg)

A
  ***And some more useful tips***:

For me, it is not easy to get an exact amount of rice and meat mixture because peppers are of different shape and capacity inside. It is not a question for me what to do with it and with some pepper leftovers.

![IMG_20200912_173709.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/69uf1RQA-IMG_20200912_173709.jpg)

I cut the left of peppers and put in a freezer to use later 

![IMG_20200912_174056.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/SJ3CFIpy-IMG_20200912_174056.jpg)

![IMG_20200912_174306.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/5YX3sRnD-IMG_20200912_174306.jpg)

The rice and meat mixture I use to make meatballs and freeze for the future or give them a different shape, roll them in flour and fry as cutlets.

![IMG_20200912_173344.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/OK3A3IbM-IMG_20200912_173344.jpg)

![IMG_20200912_174033.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/CyldY7VN-IMG_20200912_174033.jpg)

![IMG_20200912_174600.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/olgavita/wLrWhoxj-IMG_20200912_174600.jpg)