Dolmeh Recipe

Prep peppers

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Wash peppers, slice a small thin piece off the bottom if needed so they stand upright, then remove tops and seeds. Reserve tops for garnish if desired.

Par-cook rice

Drain soaked rice. In a small saucepan, bring 0.75 cup warm water to a simmer, stir in the rice and 0.5 tsp salt, cover and cook on low for 6–8 minutes until rice is partially cooked but still firm (al dente). Drain any excess water and set rice aside to cool slightly.

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add minced lamb to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook 6–8 minutes until browned and no longer pink. Drain excess fat if necessary, leaving a little for flavor.

Stir in 2 tbs tomato paste, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook 1–2 minutes to bloom the spices and combine with the meat.

Remove pan from heat and fold in the partially cooked rice, chopped parsley, chopped dill, and dried mint. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasoning to taste. The mixture should be moist but not soupy; if too dry add 1–2 tbs warm water or olive oil.

Stuff each pepper with the lamb-rice mixture, pressing gently and leaving a little space at the top for rice expansion. Wipe any excess stuffing from the pepper rims so they sit flat.

Place stuffed peppers upright in a snug ovenproof baking dish. Drizzle remaining 1 tbs olive oil over peppers.

In a bowl or small saucepan, whisk together crushed tomatoes, 1 tbs tomato paste, 1 cup water or broth, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbs lemon juice, 0.5 tsp salt and 1 tbs olive oil until smooth.

Pour the sauce around the peppers in the baking dish so it comes up about 1/3 of the way up the peppers but does not flood the stuffing. Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake in preheated oven for 35–45 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes if you want slightly browned tops. Check rice for doneness — it should be fully cooked and tender. If liquid is absorbed too quickly and rice is not done, add 2–4 tbs hot water, re-cover and continue baking 5–10 minutes.

Carefully remove peppers from oven. Spoon a little warm tomato sauce from the dish over each pepper. Let rest 5 minutes to set.

Serve warm with a dollop of plain yogurt on the side or drizzled over, garnish with parsley sprigs and a sprinkle of sumac or dried mint if using. Each pepper counts as one appetizer portion.