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The Rice
Step 1
Pick a nice big pot, fill it with one litre of water, and a pinch of salt, place the rice in, bring it to the boil, and then let simmer for about 15 minutes. You want your rice to be slightly al dente!
Step 2
When it is ready, cool it down under running cold water, strain it and put to one side.
Step 3
In your favourite big pan, pour the olive oil in, bring to medium high heat, and fry the onion.
Step 4
Once the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic, carrot, aubergine, courgette, and peppers.
Step 5
Continue cooking over medium fire with the lid on.
Step 6
Stir from time to time and continue cooking for about half an hour. A good sign is when the carrots have softened up.
Step 7
Add the rice and give it all a good stir!
Step 8
Job Done! Now let it all chill on your counter.
The Sauce
Step 1
Making the sauce is super easy, and you get to play with one of our favourite fruits, the tomato (yup, it’s a fruit)!
Step 2
In a medium pot, add the olive oil, and spread it across the bottom nicely! You want to see that lovely golden colour. Turn the heat up and add the onions. Keep on frying until they get a lovely golden colour!
Step 3
Now add the garlic and fry them nicely together for another two to three minutes.
Step 4
Add the remaining ingredients and bring the temperature to a simmer for twenty minutes!
Step 5
Take the sauce off the heat, and let it hang out by your kitchen counter.
The Gemista
This is where it all comes together. You have worked very hard so far and done a great job – Let’s bring this over the finish line.
Step 1
Preheat your oven at 180C.
Step 2
Cut the top of each pepper, about 1-2cm thick – Hold on, don’t throw them, we need them for later
Step 3
Remove all the seeds from inside the peppers. Be careful to not break them. Peppers love some TLC
Step 4
Now fill each pepper with the beautiful rice filling you made earlier. Use the tops you diligently kept on the side as a lid on each pepper.
Step 5
Take a nice big raised tray (ταψί) and place the peppers nicely next to each other, with some space in between. Don’t forget about that TLC.
Step 6
Fill the gaps with those awesome potatoes and pour the sauce that has been hanging out by your kitchen counter, over them.
Step 7
Sprinkle the peppers and potatoes with a pinch of salt or two, place the tray in the oven, and cook for 90 minutes.
Step 8
A good sign of progress is when your potato tips start to crisp up.
Step 9
You are good to go – CONGRATULATIONS! Your Gemista are ready. Take them out of the oven and have them chill out for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve two Gemista per dish with as many potatoes as you wish.
Don’t waste the juices in the tray. Take a nice thick slice of bread, and just soak it in it. Simple things are indeed the most enjoyable little secrets!
Hungry Donkey's Gemista & Potatoes
Gemista is the quintessential summer Greek dish! A staple of the Greek family table, Gemista day was a special day for us kids. Beautifully stacked in the roasting tray, there was a silent honour code on how to serve them, and how many roast potatoes go with each serving.
A great combination of all things Greek, the marrying of simple fresh herbs, vegetables, rice, and olive oil creates such a healthy and flavourful dish, that can be eaten warm, lukewarm and even cold. We firmly believe that Greek cuisine is the world’s best secret for Vegans, and Gemista are the best example of why that is so!
- Ingredients
- The Rice
- 200g Agrino 'Fancy' rice
- 1 small onion red onion, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 small aubergine, diced
- 1 large courgette, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 250g plum tomatoes, diced
- ¼ cup dill, finely chopped
- ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ cup mint, finely chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2tbsp capers
- ½ teaspoon salt
- The Sauce
- 1 large red onion, diced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 500g tomato passata
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1tsp salt
- 2 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- The Gemista
- 5 red or orange peppers
- 5 green peppers
- 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- Rice filling
- Gemista sauce