Georgian-Style Stuffed Tomatoes

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 2

Start by hollowing out the tomatoes: cut the top fifth off of the tomato, then run a small knife around the interior of the tomato. Carefully scoop out the inside of the tomato. Finely chop up the remaining tops of the tomato and what has been scooped out of them. Reserve.

Step 3

To make the sauce: add two tablespoons of oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions to the oil and sauté until softened and translucent. Add the fenugreek, coriander, and hot pepper to the onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the reserved scooped out and chopped up tomato mixture to the pan and ½ a cup of water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Depending on how much liquid you have from your tomatoes, you may need to add more or less water. You want the sauce to resemble a thick tomato sauce in consistency. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce slightly while you prepare the filling. If desired, you can blend the sauce with an immersion blender or blender, although I prefer to keep it with its small pieces of tomato intact.

Step 4

To make the filling: Add two tablespoons of oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms until their liquid has been fully released and the mushrooms have begun to brown. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add a cup of cooked rice, the chopped parsley, and the chopped dill to the mushroom mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Step 5

To assemble: Add the sauce to a baking or casserole dish that can snuggly fit all of the tomatoes. On top of the sauce, place the hollowed out tomatoes. Generously fill each tomato with the mushroom mixture, and top with slices of mozzarella.

Step 6

Bake the tomatoes for 30-40 minutes, or until hot, bubbly, and with the cheese beginning to brown. Serve warm. Leftover tomatoes can be reheated in either an oven or microwave the next day.