Summer Tolma (Stuffed Vegetables)
6 servings
120 minutes
Summer dolma is a fragrant dish of Mediterranean cuisine that embodies the warmth of sunny summer. Its history is rooted in the traditions of the region's peoples, where stuffed vegetables were considered a symbol of hospitality and family comfort. The combination of juicy meat filling, rice, spices, and fresh vegetables creates a rich, intense flavor with pleasant herbal notes of cilantro and basil. The vegetables filled with aromatic filling are slowly stewed in a fragrant tomato-garlic sauce, becoming incredibly tender and flavorful. The dish is perfect for cozy home dinners as well as festive gatherings. It is served hot, soaked in the juices of vegetables and spices, reminiscent of the sunny Mediterranean and traditional cuisine where the freshness of ingredients plays a key role.
1
First, you need to prepare the minced meat. Pass the meat through a meat grinder (it's better to use fatty beef for the minced meat, adding pork or lamb to it. We take 70% beef and 30% fatty lamb).
- Beef: 700 g
- Mutton: 300 g
2
Now, we will boil the round rice until partially cooked, drain the water, and rinse the rice in cold water. Finely chop the onion and a bit of cilantro (a blender can be used). We will add all of this to the meat.
- Round rice: 100 g
- Onion: 2 pieces
- Coriander: 70 g
3
We grind cumin in a mortar and, along with other spices, black pepper, and salt, add it to the meat. We knead the minced meat well by hand.
- Cumin (zira): 1 teaspoon
- Salt: 2.5 teaspoons
- Ground black pepper: 1 teaspoon
4
Now let's deal with the vegetables. We cut off the tops of the peppers, remove the insides, clean the eggplants from the insides as well, cut off the tops of the tomatoes and carefully scoop out the insides with a teaspoon (do not throw away the pulp; we will put it in a bowl). We stuff the vegetables tightly and carefully.
- Sweet pepper: 5 piece
- Eggplants: 500 g
- Tomatoes: 500 g
5
Pour vegetable oil into the pot, leaving about a finger's depth from the bottom. Layer the tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers tightly.
- Vegetable oil: 30 ml
6
For the sauce, we chop the tomatoes, squeeze in some garlic, add half a glass of water and a little salt. We pour this over the vegetables, sprinkle with chopped basil on top, and cook over medium heat. Once it boils, we reduce the heat and cook for one and a half to two hours with the lid closed.
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Salt: 2.5 teaspoons
- Basil: 70 g