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.
Tips & notes
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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