Dolma — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

An array of peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini stuffed with a seasoned beef and rice filling, then braised in a spiced tomato sauce. This colorful Algerian family dish turns simple vegetables into a celebratory feast.

Ingredients

3 bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
3 large tomatoes, tops removed and hollowed
3 zucchini, halved and hollowed
500g ground beef
1 cup short-grain rice, rinsed
1 onion, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1 Prepare the vegetables by cutting tops off peppers and tomatoes (save the tops as lids), scooping out tomato flesh and zucchini centers. Reserve the scooped tomato flesh. Arrange the hollowed vegetables in a large pot or Dutch oven.
2 In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, rinsed rice, diced onion, parsley, mint, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and the filling is uniform.
3 Stuff each vegetable three-quarters full with the beef-rice mixture, leaving room for the rice to expand during cooking. Replace the pepper and tomato tops as lids.
4 Chop the reserved tomato flesh and mix with the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pour this sauce around the stuffed vegetables in the pot, not over them.
5 Bring the sauce to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 50-55 minutes until the rice is fully cooked, the meat is done, and the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
6 Check the liquid level periodically, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent the bottom from burning. The sauce should reduce to a thick, concentrated consistency by the end of cooking.
7 Carefully transfer the stuffed vegetables to a serving platter using a large spoon, keeping them intact. Spoon the reduced sauce from the pot over and around the dolma. Serve warm with bread.

Did You Know?

Algerian grandmothers can identify the cook by the size and tightness of the stuffed vegetables. Each family has a characteristic style, from plump, generously stuffed pieces to dainty, tightly packed morsels.