Mahshi Felfel bi Zeit (Peppers Stuffed with Rice, Chickpeas and Herbs)

Ingredients

• 6 mixed peppers
• 200 g short grain rice
• 400 g tinned chickpeas
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 40 g fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 15 g fresh mint
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp tomato purée

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, gas 5). Cut the tops off the mixed peppers and keep them as lids, then pull out the seeds.

2. 2

   Mix the rinsed short grain rice with the drained chickpeas, roughly crushed, 2 diced tomatoes, the finely chopped onion, chopped parsley and mint, the allspice, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, the juice of half the lemon and 1 tsp salt.

3. 3

   Stand the peppers snugly in an ovenproof dish, fill them three-quarters full and put the lids on.

4. 4

   Grate the remaining 2 tomatoes and mix with the tomato purée, the rest of the molasses, 400ml boiling water and ½ tsp salt. Pour around the peppers and drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp oil.

5. 5

   Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more until the peppers are soft and the rice is tender. Serve with the sauce spooned over and the rest of the lemon in wedges.