Turkish Biber Dolması
Aromatic stuffed vegetables are a Turkish specialty. For Biber Dolması, small green bell peppers with thin skin are simmered in a light tomato sauce. The typical filling is a meat and rice mixture seasoned with mint, parsley, and regional dried peppers. Our blend features the mild and fruity pepper from Aleppo. For a vegetarian version combine raisin and pine nuts with rice.
Ingredients
Protein
- 6 oz ground beef [1] or lamb, pork, or poultry
Fresh Produce
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 cup parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4-5 medium bell peppers green [2]
Packaged Goods/Staples
- 1.5 cups short grain rice raw, rinsed
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 3-5 cups broth of your choice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
Biber Dolması Culinary Spice Kit
- Paprika, Aleppo pepper, mint, cumin, black pepper
Suggested Sides
- fresh bread
- fresh lettuce salad
Instructions
1. Prepare the Broth
- In a BOWL, Dissolve tomato puree in 3 cups of broth.
2. Prepare the Filling
- In a BOWL, combine all remaining ingredients except the bell peppers and additional broth.
- Add Biber Dolması spices and salt to taste. Mix well.
3. Prepare the Bell Peppers
- Cut off the tops of each bell pepper and remove the seeds.
- Fill each bell pepper with the mixture from step 2.
4. Cook
- Select a POT wide enough to snugly accommodate all bell peppers in a single layer.
- In the POT, arrange the filled bell peppers in the pot with their tops facing upward. Optionally, cover them with the bell pepper tops.
- Pour the tomato-broth mixture from step 1 around the bell peppers.
- Add more broth until it reaches about two-thirds of the height of the bell peppers. Adjust salt to taste.
- Cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
Serve
- Serve with optional sides and enjoy!
Notes
[1] Substitute meat with 1 cup of raisins and pine nuts.
[2] If you can find small thin bell peppers, double the amount of bell peppers and use a wider pot.
Optionally, substitute green bell peppers with other colored bell peppers, zucchini, or a combination of both.
Turkish Biber Dolması
Aromatic stuffed vegetables are a Turkish specialty. For Biber Dolması, small green bell peppers with thin skin are simmered in a light tomato sauce. The typical filling is a meat and rice mixture seasoned with mint, parsley, and regional dried peppers. Our blend features the mild and fruity pepper from Aleppo. For a vegetarian version combine raisin and pine nuts with rice.
Protein
- 6 oz ground beef* (or lamb, pork, or poultry)
Fresh Produce
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 4-5 medium green bell peppers**/***
Packaged Goods/Staples
- 1.5 cups short grain rice (raw, rinsed)
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 3-5 cups broth (of your choice)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
Biber Dolması Culinary Spice Kit
- Paprika, Aleppo pepper, mint, cumin, black pepper
Suggested Sides
- fresh bread
- fresh salad
Prepare
- Dissolve tomato puree in 3 cups broth.
[Step 2] In a BOWL, add all remaining ingredients, except the bell peppers and broth. Add Biber Dolması spices and salt to taste. Mix well.
Of each bell pepper, cut off the top and clean out the seeds.
Fill them with the mixture from [step 2].
Find a POT that is wide enough to tightly fit all bell peppers in one layer.
Cook
- In the POT, place filled bell peppers with the top up. Optionally, cover with the bell pepper top.
- Pour tomato-broth around them.
- Add more broth up to 2/3 of the height of the bell peppers. Add salt to taste.
- Cover the POT. Bring broth to a boil.
- Turn heat to medium-low.
- Cook for about 30 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Enjoy!
* Substitute meat with 1 cup of raisins and pine nuts.
** If you can find small thin bell peppers, double the amount of bell peppers and use a wider pot.
*** Substitute green bell peppers with other colored bell peppers, zucchini, or both.
