Biber Dolması — Turkish Stuffed Peppers

Peppers filled with herbed rice, tomato and onion, cooked in a tomato-flavoured broth.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 55 min
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 8 medium green or mixed peppers, tops cut off and reserved, deseeded
  • 200g short grain or pudding rice, rinsed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
  • 1 tbsp Turkish tomato paste (domates salçası) or tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Small bunch fresh dill, chopped
  • 400ml hot water
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a pan and cook the onion for 6 minutes. Add the garlic, rice, half the tomato paste and the grated tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes.

  2. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint, paprika, salt, pepper, parsley and dill. This is the filling.

  3. Fill each pepper about three quarters full with the rice mixture, as the rice will expand. Put the tops back on.

  4. Stand the peppers upright and snugly in a deep pan. Whisk the remaining tomato paste, the lemon juice and the remaining oil into the hot water and pour around the peppers.

  5. Cover and simmer gently for 45 to 50 minutes until the peppers and rice are tender. Rest for 10 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.