“Toltott paprika” is a Hungarian dish made with paprika peppers, which can be substituted with other peppers. It can be filled with a cheese or meat and rice mixture, and served cold or hot in a tomato sauce. It can be seasoned with salt, pepper, chives, and parsley.
“Toltott paprika” means “stuffed peppers” in Hungarian. The peppers in the dish are typically paprika peppers, a popular variety of pepper in Hungary which in some other countries is more commonly seen in the dried, ground form as the spice paprika. Both fresh and spicy versions of paprika come in a wide range of flavors, from sweet and mild to very hot. Any type of chili can be used for the toltott paprika, depending on the desired level of heat.
There are two different fillings that can be used for toltott paprika. One is a mostly cheese-based filling with vegetables and seasonings mixed in, which is usually served cold. The other is a meat and rice filling, with the stuffed peppers cooked in a tomato sauce – this version is served hot.
Paprika peppers are obviously the traditional choice for this dish, but cooks who can’t find them can substitute Hungarian wax peppers, banana peppers, or Italian peppers, all varieties that share the long cone shape of paprika peppers. . The tops of the peppers are cut off and the seeds and membranes are cut off. Then the peppers are washed, dried and set aside while the filling is prepared.
A cheese filling for paprika toltott is typically made with Liptoi, a soft sheep’s or goat’s cheese. A blend of feta and ricotta and sour cream can approximate the flavor and texture if Liptoi is not available. The cheese is mixed with onions and chives and the mixture is stuffed into pepper pods. This type of stuffed pepper is typically chilled and served cold rather than cooked.
The meat filling for paprika toltott generally contains ground beef, pork or veal, or a combination of the three. The onion is browned and mixed with the ground beef, along with partially cooked rice, egg, and seasonings. The mixture is stuffed into pepper pods, which are then placed in a pan for cooking. A simple tomato sauce is poured over the toltott paprika and is cooked until the peppers are soft. The tomato sauce can be seasoned to taste after you remove the peppers from the oven.
Both fillings are usually minimally seasoned, using ingredients such as salt, pepper, chives and parsley. Ground paprika can be sprinkled on top to increase the paprika pepper flavor. Toltott paprika can be served as an appetizer or as a main course.
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