Gemista with Chickpeas, Rice and Feta

Greek gemista: ripe tomatoes filled with spiced rice, chickpeas, herbs and feta, baked golden in the oven. Goes well with crusty bread and a green salad.

By yumbelo-Küche · 2 servings · 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Stück large tomatoes
• 80 g long-grain rice
• 1 Dose chickpeas (canned, drained, approx. 240 g)
• 1 Stück onion
• 1 Stück garlic clove
• 3 EL olive oil
• 0.5 Bund parsley
• 0.5 Bund mint
• 0.5 Stück lemon (juice and zest)
• 100 g feta
• 1 TL sweet paprika powder
• 250 ml water
• salt
• pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C, top and bottom heat.
2. Cut a lid off the top of the tomatoes and set it aside. Scoop out the tomatoes with a spoon and roughly chop the flesh. Season the insides lightly with salt and let the tomatoes drain upside down.
3. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Finely dice the onion and garlic.
4. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pot and sweat the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes until translucent. Toast the rice briefly until it turns glassy.
5. Add the chopped tomato flesh and 150 ml water, season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes, until the rice is nearly cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Take the pot off the heat. Fold in the chickpeas, chopped parsley, mint, paprika powder, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice. Crumble the feta and fold it in as well. Adjust with salt and pepper.
7. Fill the tomatoes with the filling up to just below the rim and put the lids back on. Place the stuffed tomatoes in an ovenproof dish.
8. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dish and pour 100 ml water around the edge of the dish. Bake the tomatoes for about 35 to 40 minutes, until the skins are slightly wrinkled and the rice is cooked.
9. Drizzle the gemista with a little lemon juice, sprinkle with fresh mint and serve warm.