Gemista recipe (Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers with rice) (2024)

Juicy, healthy and bursting with fresh and vibrant colors and flavours! Gemista or yemista (which in Greek means ‘filled with’) is a traditional recipe for Greek stuffed tomatoes and/or other vegetables that are baked, until soft and nicely browned. It is one of the most popular recipes in any Greek taverna and household, together of course with the traditional Greek Moussaka!

This is my traditional Gemista (yemista) recipe, just like my mother used to make it! So read along to discover my tips and tricks, step by step photos and of course my delicious recipe!

What is Gemista/Yemista?

The traditional Greek recipe for Gemista can be either vegetarian, which in my opinion is the best, where the vegetables are filled with rice, chopped vegetables and baked in a tomato based sauce, or they may also contain minced beef or pork.

There are countless recipes for Greek stuffed tomatoes (Gemista), with almost every household having its own. So feel free to experiment with the stuffing, with different types of herbs and a varying amount of spices. Your imagination is your limit with this amazing Greek dish!

• Suitable for vegetarians: Many versions don’t contain meat but you can use this if you want
• Loads of variations: You can use almost anything you have around the house to change up this recipe

Gemista (Greek Stuffed Vegetables) Key Ingredients

Gemista is a very simple dish to prepare, relying on the freshness of the ingredients for its delicious flavor. To make them you’ll need:

1. Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Aubergines and Zucchini (courgettes): The size for your tomatoes, peppers and aubergines is more important than anything as you want them to be big enough to remove the centre and stuff them. You also want them to be fresh and ripe to impart as much flavour as possible in the dish. For your peppers, if you like them sweet, get yourself some yellow or red peppers as the green ones are slightly more bitter. Finally you’ll need a courgette, which is used for the stuffing as it makes it extra moist and creamy.
2. Potatoes: Yukon Gold is the best potato for Gemista. The skin is so thin that I don’t always remove it, and I love when it crisps up at the edges. I slice them half lengthwise, season them, and place them on the dish around the stuffed vegetables.
3. Rice: This is your fillings star of the show! As you want your filling to be starchy and creamy, get yourself some risotto rice, also known as arborio. This type of rice is different to the more common basmati as it contains more starch which oozes out when slowly cooked.
4. Herbs and Spices: You’ll need to grab yourself some fresh parsley and mint as well as fresh garlic, red onions, some tomato paste and a tin of chopped tomatoes

What Peppers should I use for Gemista?

If you like your Gemista to taste sweet use yellow, red or orange bell peppers. If you prefer a slight tang and bitterness, use green peppers. Why?

Because green bell peppers are bitter because they are simply unripe! So substituting them for a more colourful kind will make your Gemista deliciously sweet!

Key Preparation Steps

There are just a few steps to prepare your delicious traditional Gemista:

1. Prepare your vegetables
2. Prepare the sauce and filling for the Gemista
3. Assemble the Gemista

Prepare your vegetables

Remove the tops of the tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the flesh of the tomatoes with a spoon and place it in a bowl as the tomato sauce for Gemista will be made from the flesh of these tomatoes.

Slice the top off the eggplants, then peel off the skin and remove the flesh with a spoon. Cut the eggplant flesh into small cubes and set them aside, since you’ll use it later as part of the filling for Gemista. Remove the seeds and white parts from within each pepper before cutting it in half.

Place the clean vegetables on a large baking sheet. Keep the vegetables with as little flesh as you can while still allowing them to be peeled, but avoid poking through their skin. Season the empty veggies with a pinch of salt and sugar and a dash of butter on each one.

Prepare the sauce and filling for the Gemista.

Start by preparing the sauce for your gemista. In a blender, combine the pulp of the tomatoes, 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and pepper and blend. Once smooth and creamy, set aside.

Now proceed to prepare the filling. In a pan, heat some olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the zucchini to the saucepan and cook for another minute. Finally, add the eggplant chunks and garlic, and cook until softened.

Add the rice and continue sautéing, stirring until translucent. Pour in 1 can of chopped tomatoes, 2 cups of water, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil while cooking for 5 more minutes. It won’t need much longer to cook once it’s baked because it will finish in the oven.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the fresh herbs, and season with more salt and pepper as desired.

Assemble the Gemista

Firstly, get yourself a large, deep baking dish. Then start filling the hollowed-out veggies, about 2/3 of the way up with the filling. When cooking, the filling will expand somewhat! Place them on the baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Finally, add your potatoes, spreading them apart among the vegetables to complete.

Next, spoon the liquid from your rice and from your tomato sauce in your vegetables until they’re full. Place their lids back on and pour any remaining liquid and filling on the baking dish. Finally add 3 cups of water to the baking dish.

Finally, cover the Gemista with foil and bake for 60-75 minutes at 180C / 350F. Remove the aluminum foil halfway through, to colour them evenly.

As Gemista taste best when warmed up or served right away, just add some salty feta cheese on top and serve!

Gemista (Yemista) recipe tips and tricks

This traditional Greek recipe for Gemista falls under the category of Greek dishes called “Ladera”, meaning Greek dishes prepared with olive oil. So make sure to use some good quality extra virgin olive oil, which will do wonders in this recipe, lifting its flavor!

Although the traditional Greek recipe for Gemista doesn’t call for any butter, a little secret is to add just a little bit inside the Gemista before adding the stuffing for some extra flavor.

As the peppers are not as juicy as the tomatoes the stuffing for the peppers always comes out a little dry. To avoid that, spoon some extra tomato juice over the peppers and they will become just amazing. When cooking the Gemista, make sure to cover them with aluminium foil as the steam allows the rice to cook and the vegetables to soften without them ending up being burnt.

When tomatoes are in-season they are obviously the best choice to prepare this Greek dish, but for an all-year-round dish you can use eggplants and peppers or even courgettes!

Delicious Gemista Variations

If you like your gemista with meat, add 250g (8.8oz) of ground beef with the onions in the first step.When the beef juices have been absorbed and the meat is browned, add the zucchini to the saucepan and sauté for another minute.

Add the chopped eggplant and minced garlic and cook until softened.Then continue with the recipe as above!

Making ahead of time and storing

You can prepare this stuffed tomato dish ahead of time in a couple of ways.

1. You may fully prepare and cook the gemista in advance, allow them to cool down in their baking dish, cover it with cling film and refrigerate. To reheat, allow them to sit at room temperature for an hour or so to warm up, then add half a cup of water to the bottom of the pan, cover and bake until heated through in a medium-heat oven.
2. You may prepare the gemista filling but avoid assembling and baking them. Cover and refrigerate the filling only and when it’s time to bake them, prepare your tomato sauce, the vegetables, fill and assemble, then bake.

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, in an airtight container.

Serving suggestions

These Gemista are delicious eaten on their own, served with some delicious Greek Salad, tzatziki,crusty village breador sourdough bread as a side.

However, if you’re having a Greek feast, these can also be used as an attractive side to grilled lamb leg or slow-cooked lamb kleftiko, chicken souvlakiorlemon chicken. The options are endless!

Enjoy!

Print