Dolma with beef - Meze by Vidar Bergum
For my Turkish friends, few things bring back childhood memories like the aroma of dolmas cooking away in the kitchen. Yourtill, grandmother’s – dolmas are some of the most anticipated flavours of the Turkish kitchen. And no wonder. It’s an incredibly comforting food, even for those who didn’t grow up with it.
To most, dolma is basically any stuffed vegetable that is vaguely Mediterranean or Middle Eastern in flavour. In Turkey, they’re a bit more specific. They make a distinction between hollowed-out-then-stuffed vegetables (like this recipe), and dishes where the vegetables are rolled around the filling (like stuffed vine leaves). The former is called dolma, the latter sarma. The words come from dolmak (“to fill up”) and sarmak (“to wrap”). Outside of Turkey, however, it’s mostly all dolma.
Making dolmas is very much a labour of love, though certainly easier than many think. It takes time to hollow out and stuff the vegetables, though you’ll quickly get faster at it. A word of advice: a teaspoon is often a better tool than a knife.
The go-to vegetable in Turkey is a small green pepper with thin walls, simply referred to as “dolma peppers”. It is indeed brilliant for dolma, though I like using a couple of different vegetables when I make a batch. It makes for an easy variation of flavours while still only needing to prepare one filling.
The recipe below is based on classic Turkish recipes, though I’ve used a little more meat than some Turkish grandmas. The flavouring is simple and clean, even though it’s one of the dishes where the Middle Eastern influence is apparent. A couple of warming spices add an extra layer of flavour to the meat version of these delicacies. Vegetarian versions, where currants, pine nuts and herbs play a leading role, are also popular. But that’s a recipe for another day :)
The recipe makes 8–10 dolmas, depending on the size of your chosen vegetables. I’ve included a few serving suggestions below, so you know how many you need to make and what to serve alongside. I do hope you’ll try them.
With best wishes from Istanbul,
Vidar
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Meze, lunch or main course | Turkish cuisine | Yields 8–10 dolma
8–10 vegetables for stuffing (I like a mixture of large tomatoes, Turkish green dolma peppers and regular bell peppers)
Greek yoghurt, to serve
100 g short grain rice (½ cup)
200 g minced beef (7 oz)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
200 ml boiling water (⅘ cup)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Prepare the stuffing vegetables.
Tomatoes: Cut the top off and hollow out the tomatoes. Save the top and the tomato pulp. I like using 3 or 4 large tomatoes for this recipe, and peppers for the rest.
Turkish dolma peppers: Cut the top off. Remove and discard the seeds and the white walls, but keep the top.
Bell peppers: Halve lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and the white walls.
Mix the ingredients for the stuffing until completely combined. I use my hands for this. Divide among the prepared stuffing vegetables, making sure to leave a 1–2 cm (½–1 in) gap at the top – the rice will expand during cooking. Put the top back on the tomatoes and Turkish dolma peppers (bell pepper halves can be cooked exposed). Place the vegetables in a pan that fits them snugly.
Mix the ingredients for the sauce with any tomato pulp from step 1 until completely mixed. Add to the pan, making sure there is plenty of liquid around and on top of the vegetables.
Cover the pan with a tight lid and place over a low heat. Leave to cook until the vegetables are completely tender and the stuffing is cooked through, 45 minutes or more. Check a few times during cooking to ensure the pan is moist, adding more water if needed to avoid the pan going dry.
Take off the heat and leave, covered, for at least 20 minute. Serve warm, but not numbingly hot, with yoghurt.
Do you know someone who might enjoy this recipe?
As part of a meze spread: You’ll need ½–1 dolma per person.
As a starter: One per person with a little yoghurt on the side is good.
As a main: We usually eat two or three dolmas each, and I tend to serve it with yoghurt and a big bowl of salad. A shepherd salad is wonderful. Bread isn’t a bad idea, either. If it’s not too hot, a small bowl of soup to start complements the main perfectly.
In Turkey, they usually use a local shortgrain variety called baldo when making dolma. Any other shortgrain variety, or even basmati rice, will be fine here.
And in anticipation of a common question: The rice should be dry and uncooked. The steam from the vegetables, sauce and filling is enough to cook it.
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