Name: Biber Dolması (Turkish Stuffed Peppers)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 4 Green Bell Pepper, tops removed and seeds discarded; ½ cup Rice, rinsed; 3 tbsp Olive Oil, divided; 1 Onion, finely chopped; 1 Tomato, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Tomato Puree, for filling; 3 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped; 2 tbsp Mint Leaves, finely chopped; ½ tsp Dried Mint, for aroma; ½ tsp Sugar, to balance tomato; ¾ tsp Salt, adjust to taste; ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper, for filling; 1½ tbsp Lemon Juice, for finishing; 1 cup Water, for simmering

1 hr 25 mintotal

1 hr 10 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 25 min · Cook 45 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

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Method

Prepare the capsicums by cutting off the tops, removing seeds, and keeping the hollow peppers ready.
Warm part of the olive oil in a pan. Add onion and cook until soft.
Add rice, tomato, tomato puree, parsley, mint leaves, dried mint, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir for a few minutes.
Fill the peppers loosely with the rice mixture, leaving space for the rice to expand.
Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in a pot. Add water, remaining olive oil, and lemon juice around them.
Cover and cook on low heat until the peppers are tender and the rice is cooked.
Rest before serving so the filling sets and the flavors settle.

How to tell it's done

The peppers should be soft but still holding shape, and the rice filling should be tender, moist, and not mushy.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

443kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein7.1 g6%
Carbohydrate59.1 g52%
Fat21.3 g42%

Saturated fat: 3.1 g
Fibre: 7.2 g
Sodium: 898 mg
Potassium: 804 mg
Calcium: 91 mg
Iron: 2.8 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Do not pack the rice tightly; it expands as it cooks and needs room inside the pepper.

What to serve it with

Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges and a simple salad.

Common mistakes

The filling bursts out of the peppers.: Fill them about three-quarters full, as the steps say. The rice goes in raw and roughly doubles, and a pepper packed tight splits down the side.
The rice is still hard when the peppers are soft.: Keep the liquid coming halfway up the peppers and the lid on. The rice cooks in trapped steam; too little water, or a lid that lets it escape, and the tops of the filling stay chalky.

Substitutions

Small bell peppers work best because they hold shape and cook evenly.
Fresh coriander can replace parsley, but the flavor will become less Turkish.
Use tomato puree instead of chopped tomato only if fresh tomatoes are not ripe.

Storing and reheating

Keeps four days in the fridge. This is an olive-oil dolma, traditionally eaten cool or at room temperature rather than hot, and it genuinely improves overnight. It does not freeze well — the peppers go slack.

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Ingredients