Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Zeytinyağlı Domates Dolması

Hollowed-out beef tomatoes stuffed with rice, pine nuts, currants and mint, baked in olive oil and served cold.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 8 large tomatoes
• 200 g long-grain rice
• 3 onions
• 40 g pine nuts
• 40 g currants
• 120 ml olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Cut a lid off each tomato, scoop out the insides with a spoon and reserve; finely chop the flesh and set aside. Soak the rice in warm water for 15 min., then rinse and drain.
2. Finely dice the onions and sauté in 80 ml olive oil over medium heat for 8–10 min. until soft and translucent, without browning.
3. Add the pine nuts and toast for 2 min. until light gold, then stir in the currants, rice and half the tomato flesh and sauté for 3 min., stirring.
4. Season with sugar, salt, pepper, dried mint and chopped parsley, pour in 100 ml water and let swell covered for 8 min. until the rice is half cooked and the liquid absorbed.
5. Lightly salt the inside of the tomatoes, spoon in the filling loosely up to just below the rim – the rice will swell further – put the lids back on and arrange them tightly in a baking dish.
6. Mix the remaining tomato flesh and olive oil with 100 ml water, pour it in and bake at 180 °C for 40–45 min. until the rice is cooked and the tomato skins have collapsed slightly; let cool completely and serve cold.