Starters Recipes - Sogan Dalma

Ingredients

• 16 smallish onions

• 450 g/1 lb/4 cups minced (ground) beef

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup long-grain rice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs

• 450 ml/3/4 pt/2 cups passata (sieved tomatoes)

• 120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup beef stock

• 3 lemons

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Method:

1. Peel the onions and cut out the cores at the root ends. Make a slit from top to bottom on one side of the onion.

2. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Carefully separate the onions into layers.

3. Mix the minced beef with the rice, a little salt and pepper and the herbs. Press a small amount into each onion 'shell . Place in a single layer in a roasting tin (pan).

4. Blend the passata with the stock and pour over. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for about 40 minutes until the onions are tender and the meat is cooked.

5. Squeeze the juice of one of the lemons and drizzle all over. Serve hot with the remaining lemons cut into wedges.