Title: Osh Pyozee (Stuffed Onions)
Categories: Ground Jewish Afghan
Yield: 1 Servings

ONIONS
2	lg	(abt 1/4 lb ea) onions, peeled
4	c	Water
1	ts	Salt
STUFFING
1/2	lb	Ground beef
3	tb	Raw rice, rinsed, cooked until very soft, drained, & mashed
1	ts	Salt
1/4	ts	Pepper
1/4	ts	Ground cuminseed
10	md	Pitted prunes, cut length- wise into halves
2	tb	Corn oil

The Bukharan & Calcutta Jews stuff onions each w/their own preferred & native seasonings. The Afghan has a stuffing sweetened w/prunes & cooked slowly -- quite different from the others. The Afghans believe that onions are effective for strengthening the teeth. I cannot dispute this, but the stuffed onions in that case will provide 2 reasons for preparation, the excellence of the flavor & as a health inducement.

1. Make a 1/2-inch deep incision into side of each onion. Bring water & salt to a boil over moderate heat & drop in onions. Cook for 2 mins, turning them w/slotted spoon during that time. Remove onions & peel off each layer until you reach center. Set aside onion layers & centers.

2. Put beef into a bowl w/rice, salt, pepper, & cuminseed and mix well. Take 1 heaping ts beef mixture & half of 1 prune. Stuff 1 cooked onion layer & roll it up. Do this w/all stuffing & onion layers.

3. Oil a skillet & lay stuffed onions & centers in it, cover, and cook over very low heat for 2 hours. The onions will become quite dark but not, of course, burned. This is top-of-the-stove cooking.

Another method is to put stuffed onions into a baking dish, cover tightly, & bake in preheated, 250f. oven for 2 hrs. Serve warm. Serves 6 w/other dishes.

NOTE: It is also possible to accelerate cooking time. Add 1/2 c water to skillet & cook, covered, over moderate heat for 1 hour. All liquid will evaporate & onions will be browned.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. David Pileggi

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