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* 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
Instructions
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!
Notes
* 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.
