Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Stuffed Onion Layers

Separated onion layers filled with rice, pine nuts and herbs and braised in olive oil with pomegranate molasses.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 4 large onions
• 150 g rice
• 40 g pine nuts
• 2 tbsp currants
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Peel the onions, cut once from top to bottom down to the center and cook in boiling water for 10 min. until the layers separate easily.
2. Let the onions cool and carefully peel off layer by layer; finely chop the small inner pieces and set aside.
3. Rinse the rice, toast the pine nuts in 3 tbsp of the olive oil for 2 min. until golden, add the chopped onion scraps and sauté for 4 min.
4. Fry in the tomato paste for 1 min., then stir in the rice, currants, chopped parsley, mint, cinnamon and salt and remove the filling from the heat.
5. Place 1 tsp of filling on each onion layer, roll up loosely and pack the rolls tightly seam to seam in a pot; pour in the pomegranate molasses, remaining olive oil and 250 ml hot water.
6. Weigh down with a plate and braise covered over low heat for 40 min. until the rice is cooked; let cool to lukewarm and serve drizzled with the braising liquid.