Try this quintessential summer Greek Mediterranean dish: Roasted summer vegetables stuffed with rice and herbs. The famous Gemista or Yemista.
It is not possible to talk about tomatoes, the Mediterranean diet and Greek food without mentioning Gemista (or Yemista). Gemista are vegetables usually tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant filled with rice (sometimes with ground meat) and baked in the oven. Gemista translates as “ones that are filled”. And as I mentioned earlier my mom’s gemista happen to be my favorite food.
Now I need to mention that yes, this recipe has a lot of olive oil for non-mediterranean standards, but don’t let that scare you.
As with most people’s favorite foods, this is also a comfort food for me, but as opposed to many comfort foods this one is healthy. At first glance you may think it’s a starchy dish, but once you take a look at this recipe you will notice that there are plenty of vegetables, to be exact, for each gemisto you eat you get almost 2 servings of vegetables. Why? Well the rice itself is mixed with some more vegetables; in fact you only eat about a ¼ cup of rice per serving.
Now I need to mention that yes, this recipe has a lot of olive oil for non-mediterranean standards, but don’t let that scare you. First of all there is plenty of olive oil left in the pan so unless you drink it or mop it up with bread you won’t be getting all those calories. Secondly, as I have mentioned the beauty of the lathera-Greek vegetarian dishes with moderate starch and a good amount is olive oil is that you actually end up with a moderate amount of calories because the vegetables hardly add any calories to the meal.
Now as I said my mom’s gemista is my favorite food, I don’t order gemista when I’m out because none of them will compare. These are truly the best (and I don’t say that lightly). Here is why:
How to Make the Best Greek Stuffed Tomatoes- Gemista
- The rice is cooked until it is very soft not al dente and so are the vegetables. My mom says that if the gemista look too pretty they probably won’t taste good. And she is right, whenever I see nice bright looking gemista that have kept their shape, the vegetables are somewhat hard and so is the rice, making for a tasteless and boring dish. Also, do not pre-cook the rice, the whole point of cooking together is that the rice absorbs all the flavors of all the other ingredients,
- She only fills them with rice, not ground beef. It is a summer dish; beef would just make it heavier and add calories.
- She mixes the rice with a bunch of herbs, which makes them super tasty.
- There is olive oil in this dish and it is important that you use it, otherwise you won’t get this melt-in-your mouth sensation. Trust me. I recently saw a recipe for gemista on the site of a popular US NYC newspaper that used only 3 tablespoons of olive oil, that will not work, you’ll end up with a hard, tough and dry gemisto.
- She cooks potatoes with them. By adding potatoes you actually have a whole meal fit to serve guests.
- And did I mention that this recipe has no animal products, so perfect for vegans too!
Ok this is my mom’s famous recipe, it will take you about an hour to do the prep, so you are better off making a big batch, these last 2-3 days and they taste better the next day.
This dish is a lathero and it is enjoyed best at room temperature with feta. I don’t eat it with bread, as there is the rice and potatoes, but most Greeks do.
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The Best Authentic Greek Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers-Gemista
Ingredients
- 5 large tomatoes
- 5 large green bell peppers (you may also use zucchini or eggplant) + 1 small green pepper
- 10-12 tablespoons un-cooked short or medium grain rice (do not use long grain)
- 8 zucchini
- 1 onion
- 2 pounds potatoes
- 7 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons dry mint
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- cloves-whole
- allspice – whole
- 1 1/2 cup olive oil
- lemon juice
- salt/pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 400 Fahrenheit (200 Celsius).
- Wash the tomatoes and peppers. For the peppers cut around the stem and empty the inside of the pepper. For the tomato cut around the base (the bottom part) not the stem part and empty the tomato with a spoon. Put these pieces of tomato in a separate bowl along with the juices. Make tiny slits on the inside bottom of the peppers and tomatoes (not all the way through)
- Place the empty tomatoes and peppers along with their caps n a large pan about 3 inches deep.
- Take 2-3 zucchini peel them and grate them, put the grated zucchini in another bowl.
- In a food processor add an onion, 4-5 garlic cloves, a bit of oil about a teaspoon and some salt. Mix but not too much (you don’t want a paste). Add the onion mixture to the zucchini.
- Take a small green bell pepper and also dice it and add to the zucchini mixture.
- Finally take a small potato (a bit larger than an egg) and grate it and add to the zucchini mixture.
- Now strain the juice from the tomatoes (squeeze the tomato with your hands too) and save in a separate bowl. Now you should have 3 bowls one with tomato, one with zucchini-potato-onion mixture and one with tomato juice.Cut the tomato in small pieces and mix it with the zucchini mixture. Add 1 tablespoon salt, dry mint, parsley and tomato paste. Now add to the mixture 10 to 12 tablespoons short grain rice and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Finally add ¾ cup olive oil. Let the mixture sit.
- Now start cutting the potatoes. Take 2 lbs. of potatoes, peel them and cut them into quarters, place in a bowl. Take 3-4 zucchini, peel and slice and add to potatoes. Add ¾ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, some salt and 2 cloves garlic cut n small pieces. Mix well (with your hands preferably). Then add the tomato juice which you had saved from the tomatoes in step 8.
- Now start filling the tomatoes and peppers with rice all the way to the top and close with their caps.
- Add the potatoes to the pan, making sure to place around the tomatoes and peppers so they don’t slide in the tray. If there is any rice mixture left mix it with the quartered potatoes and add to to the pan.
- Add 5 cloves to the potatoes and about 5 allspice.
- Add about a cup of water, but not on top-you don’t want to “wash off” the oil. Add the water in a corner of the pan and tilt slightly so the water goes everywhere.
- Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 400 Fahrenheit (200 Celsius). Then reduce to 320-340 Fahrenheit (170-160 Celsius ) and bake for another 1-½ hours. If you notice it getting dry, add a bit more water.
- To see if it is done, check the rice it should be soft and mushy.
Notes
Photos by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved
Since discovering your website yesterday, I want to cook every single recipe that you have posted. This particular recipe sounds fabulous. I can’t wait until tomato season to try it. I make Italian rice stuffed tomatoes, which are very good, but these sound even better because more flavors are involved. I made your recipe for spanakorizo for lunch today and was pleased to see that my husband and two children could eat 2 pounds of spinach at one meal. We ate it in the Greek way, as you described, at room temperature with a small wedge of goat feta. It was super delicious. I do wish that your recipes were indexed by main ingredient so that it is easier to find recipes for each vegetable.
hi Elena, i love all the recipes you share and i thank you!
my grandmother, my mother and I as well, have always added ground beef to our yemista (using Carolina long grain rice and sauteeing everything) but i am looking forward to trying it your way especially now that my son refuses to eat meat. we have never used oregano or mint and add scallions in addition to yellow onion.
i hope to make your version of yemista this week and i’ll be sure to let you know how my family enjoyed them.
Yes, please share your experience!
We have Greek friends who make a big tray of these every summer from the bounty of their garden. They are a favorite of mine, but never knew the recipe. Maria says, “a handful of this, a little of that, you come watch me!” I really should.
I can’t wait to try these
My husband is Greek, but I’m not. After 34 years of marriage, I cook the lamb for Easter! I love Greek food, better than my Midwest, Scandinavian favorites!
Thanks so much.
Have made many variations but love this recipe. will try it. Question..You say to cut the tomatoes on the base? So basically turn them upside down and then cut and scoop? I have not heard of this before. Is there a particular reason for this technique?
Elena, zucchini can be large–what length in inches would work best?
Hello EJ,
About 5-6 inches would be a typical size for zucchini here in Greece.
Thanks for this recipe! The Gemistas sound yummy and I will definately try it on a day that I have lots of time. The fact the steps are numbered is great! But I’m still wondering about a couple of things. In step 8, it’s the insides of the tomatoes (the meat) that you squeeze the juice from, right? Doesn’t adding the tomatoe juice to the potatoes make them soggy? And about the rice, would basmati work? I live in Sweden and don’t really know what a short-grain rice would be. And just to make sure I understand – the tomatoes are utlimately filled with zuccini+a chopped bell pepper+onions+chopped tomatoe meat (that was scooped out)+uncooked rice+herbs+a grated potato. It’s a complicated recipe and I want to be sure to get it right!
Yes, that is correct. The potatoes will roast absorbing the liquids so they should come out soggy. Short grain is short, stubby rice. You could try Italian arborio. Basmati would not work as well, due to texture and flavor.
Thanks for including all the critical details. I was taught to make this by watching others cook it but have never seen it written out so nicely. I feel sorry for those who follow most recipes for gemista as they end up with a dried out bunch of vegetables with uncooked rice! You can never have too much olive oil on these…
Love, love, love this post! Your description of gemista and how it’s done correctly (cooking time, olive oil, calories, no meat) is great! I have been working for weeks on the recipe post for my pathera’s gemista. There are so many little details that need to be addressed, especially when describing the dish to someone who may have never tasted gemista before. One challenge I am having is finding the best rice to use in the US. Because the rice in Greece is called “Carolina”, it causes for confusion. Carolina rice in the US is a long grain rice. From what I can tell, I need to use some type of Japonica rice, or as someone mentioned above, maybe an Arborio rice? Thanks! Ashley
Thanks Ashley,
For the rice, as I mention in the recipe just choose short grain rice, no need to look for special varieties.
Thanks Elena!
Yasou Elena,
You didn’t mention what to do with reserved juice of the tomatoes, I’ll be putting it in the pan with a little less water. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hi Yiorgos.
The reserved juice is mixed in with the potatoes in step 10. I just added it, thanks for the question!
So you put the rice in completely raw right? I was always under the impression you have to par cook the rice or even fully. This is a very interesting recipe I will be sure to try it. Thank you for posting.
Hi Nicko, Yes, the rice is not cooked at all. Let me know how it works out for you!
I have just come back from Greece and am very keen to make these. I had many variations in Greece but my favourite had a lovely lemony taste to the rice. I just want to be clear that the rice is not pre cooked.
Hi Monica,
Yes the rice is not precooked. I’ll add that on the recipe.
They are delicious and do actually taste better a day or two later.
Thanks Monica!
i made these during Great Lent – they were fabulous, though labor intensive (more than an hour for me)! But it makes a lot, and I loved them! Thanks for a great recipe! Kali Anastasi!
Great! Yes, these take a bit more work, but it is so worth it!
One other question – when you say reduce the temperature to 170-160, is that degrees F or degrees C?
Kirsty, It is in degrees Celsius, which is 320-340 degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks for pointing that out!
This recipe looks great! I have some arborio rice at home, would that work?
If you cook it right . allow cook time when it is in the oven. So you dont over cook it.
thank you so much..both my parents and all my grandparents were of greek descent..(spelling)I so enjoy good greek food, but can’t seems to make anything taste right….i an’t wait to go shopping tomorrow to try the gemistas…my auunt would stuff the squash and squzh flowers, also…..i’ll let you know how they turn out..
I made this exactly as the recipe called for. It was delicious and I would definitely recommend it!
Just wondering though why you peel the zucchini? Lots of fiber and vitamins are contained in the skin. Plus it would save time and work. Lol. Do you think it would turn out good still?
Thanks so much for your lovely website!
Hi Deborah, Thank you! Yes, not peeling the zucchini is fine for the zucchini that will be around the potatoes (actually my mother leaves those unpeeled), but for the grated zucchini (in step 4) I would still peel those to blend in with rice.
This is the second time I’ve made these. This time we only had peppers in the fridge so I used a can of chopped tomatoes. Turned out really well! Almost as good as the stuffed tomatoes we had at a winery party on Naxos last September! I do have to say that the brown rice I used takes way longer to cook. Great recipe thanks again!! ❤️
Oh wOw! This is just deeelish.
Thank you for sharing this recipe❤️
Tastes super good the day after and the day after that too. I am going to make it again on Sunday.
Thank you Elise! Yes, I love these even more the next day!
Love this recipe and full of flavour. It has become a once a week favourite and joined with home made humus, tzatziki, and lamb chops.
Mmmm so tasty.
Thank you and everyone loves it.
Thank you Imraan!