Rice & Lentil Stuffed Onions
Tender baked onion layers stuffed with masala-spiced basmati rice, lentils, and sultanas, baked in a tangy tamarind broth.
If you love biryani, geelrys, stuffed veg, or Middle Eastern flavours, you need to try these South African–Persian Stuffed Onions! They're sweet, spicy, tangy, and totally comforting—a fusion inspired by the flavours of South Africa with a Persian–Mediterranean heartbeat. Soft onion layers filled with masala-spiced lentils and basmati rice, baked in a tamarind-tomato broth.
Before you start
Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.
Method
- 1
Prepare the Onion Shells
Peel 6 to 8 large onions. Make a single deep vertical cut from the top to the centre root of each onion (without cutting all the way through).
- 2
Boil the onions in salted water for 15 minutes until soft and pliable. Drain and let cool slightly.
- 3
Carefully peel away the large outer onion layers for stuffing. Finely chop the small inner cores to use in the filling.
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Ivana Sanshia’s note
Packing the rolled onions tightly together in your baking dish keeps them from unrolling as the basmati rice expands during baking!
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