Kalamaria Yiemista (Staffed Squid)

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Kalamari (Squid) is very well known in the Greek Cuisine. Whether is deep fried, boiled, cooked with other food, barbequed or stuffed, Kalamari is very nutritious and it can be used as an appetizer or as a main dish.

Ingredients:

1 ½ kilo of fare size squid
½ a cup of finely chopped onion
½ a cup of dry white wine
½ a cup of tomato paste
½ a cup of olive oil
2 cups of hot water
½ a cup of corn oil
4 tbsp of rice
2-3 garlic cloves
½ tsp of dry mint
½ tsp of cinnamon powder
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

-Let us suppose that the squid you buy is fresh and cleaned. Wash well, remove the head and tentacles, cut in smell pieces and strain them.

-Place the corn oil in a sauce pan and fry the squid bags until they have a golden color.

-Take squid out of the sauce pan and put onions and tentacles to fry, add the wine, the dissolved tomato paste in a cup of hot water, cinnamon, garlic cloves, mint, salt and pepper.

- Reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes.

-Add the rice and simmer for about another 15-20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed by the rice and the rest of the ingredients.

-With the rice and tentacle mixture stuff the squid bags and place them in a sauce pan in rows. Pour over them the olive oil, one cup of hot water, cover the pan and cook on low heat for about an hour or until the squid is tender.

-Stuffed Squid is served hot.