Soğan Dolması | Stuffed Onions

Ingredients

• 2 Large onions (peeled and with a longitudinal cut)
• 200 g Ground beef (with medium fat content)
• 1 cup Baldo rice (washed)
• 2 Garlic (cloves, optional)
• 2 tbsp Grated tomato (or 1 tbsp tomato paste)
• 1 tbsp Pepper paste (biber salçası)
• 0.5 cup Olive oil (Turkish tea glass measurement (approx. 50-60ml))
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Red pepper flakes (pul biber)
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika
• 1 tsp Sumac (sumac)
• 0.5 cup Fresh parsley (half a bunch, finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste (for the sauce)
• 1 tbsp Butter (for the sauce)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil (for the sauce)
• 2 cup Hot water (for the sauce)
• Salt (a pinch for the sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Peel the onions. Make a single deep longitudinal cut to the center, but without cutting them completely through.

2. 2

   Boil the onions in salted water for 8-10 minutes until they soften. Remove them, let them cool, and carefully separate the layers one by one.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, mix all the filling ingredients well (ground beef, rice, garlic, tomato, pepper paste, oil, salt, pepper, pul biber, paprika, sumac, and parsley) while raw.

4. 4

   Place 1-2 tsp of the filling in each onion layer and roll them gently, without squeezing too hard so the rice has room to expand.

5. 5

   Arrange the stuffed onions (dolmas) tightly in a pot or ovenproof dish.

6. 6

   Prepare the sauce by mixing the tomato paste, butter, olive oil, hot water, and a pinch of salt. Pour the mixture over the onions.

7. 7

   Cover the surface with a piece of dampened parchment paper.

8. 8

   Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Simmer for 45-55 minutes until the rice is completely tender.

9. 9

   Optionally, during the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove the lid or paper and broil in a preheated oven at 200°C to brown the tops.

Notes

For a more aromatic and traditional Eastern Turkish flavor, add 1 tsp of pomegranate molasses and 1 tsp of cinnamon to the filling. Serve with chopped parsley, garlic yogurt, or lemon slices.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• turkish food
• dolma
• stuffed onions
• beef
• rice
• traditional