Romanian-Style Stuffed Peppers

Wash 10 sweet peppers, cut off the tops, remove the stems, seeds and inner membranes; keep the tops to use as lids.

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in oil for 4–5 minutes until translucent, add the rice and heat through for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Combine the ground meat, cooled onion and rice, tomato paste, dill, half of the parsley, salt and black pepper until evenly mixed.

Fill the peppers with the stuffing to about three-quarters full, without packing it down, to leave room for the rice to swell. Cover each pepper with its reserved top.

In a tall pot, combine the crushed tomatoes, water and bay leaf. Stand the peppers upright, pour the sauce in to about three-quarters of their height, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.

Transfer the pot to an oven preheated to 180 °C and cook for another 25–30 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Serve two peppers per portion, ladled with the tomato sauce, sprinkled with the remaining parsley, and topped with sour cream.