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5 from 4 votes

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi)

These delicious Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi) are filled with aromatic stuffing made of rice, onions, pine nuts, currants, and various herbs/spices. 
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 10 pieces
Calories: 183kcal
Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

  • 1 kitchen scale
  • 1 Sharp knife
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 measuring spoons
  • 1 Measuring cups

Ingredients

  • 10 small Turkish bell peppers (or 5-6 large bell peppers)
  • 3 tablespoon good quality olive oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 2 large onions (small diced)
  • 3 tablespoon black currants
  • 1 cup short grain or pudding rice
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • ½ tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoon chopped dill
  • 10 cherry tomatoes (for garnish)
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste diluted in 1 cup water (to cook the stuffed peppers)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Place a medium-size saucepan on low heat and add olive oil along with the onions.
  • Gently sauté them until soft and translucent and then add the pine nuts.
  • Sauté together on low heat with the onions until lightly golden, stirring occasionally. 
  • While the onions are gently cooking, prepare the peppers.
  • Cut off the stalks of the peppers gently and scoop out the seeds. Wash your peppers and lightly season with salt.
  • Arrange them in a pan in which you will cook your stuffed peppers and set them aside until the filling is ready.
  • When the onions are soft and translucent, add the rice along with the blackcurrants, cook for a few minutes.
  • Add the lemon juice, ½ cup of water, cinnamon, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, dried mint, sugar, salt, and tomato paste, stir to combine, and cover the pan with a lid.
  • Cook until the water evaporates, take the pan off the heat then add the parsley along with the dill. The rice shouldn't be fully cooked as it will continue cooking with the peppers.
  • Stir the mixture and let it cool down for 10 minutes before stuffing the peppers.
  • Fill the peppers with rice filling up to ⅔ only as the rice will swell when cooked. Don't push the filling down or overfill the peppers.
  • Put a cherry tomato on each pepper and place the peppers upright in a pan tightly.
  • Add the tomato paste diluted in water to the pan and cook for 45 minutes or until the peppers are cooked and the rice is soft.

Notes

  • If you run out of peppers, you have can fill tomatoes or onions with the rest of the stuffing. Alternatively, you can keep the leftover filling refrigerated and cook over low heat to serve as a side dish on another day. 
  • To reheat the leftover Biber Dolma, place them in a saucepan and add a few drops of water. Gently simmer until they reached the desired temperature. Alternatively, you can use the microwave for reheating Biber Dolmasi.
  • I dont recommend freezing the leftovers as the texture of the peppers and rice would change and get soggy!
  • Don't push the rice filling down or overfill the peppers.
  • Biber Dolmasi is versatile, you can fill them with minced meat, onions, and rice for a non-vegetarian version.

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4376IU | Vitamin C: 178mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg