🇦🇿 Azerbaijani Cuisine

Badimjan Dolmasi

Stuffed Eggplant

Prep Time 30 min

Servings 4

Difficulty Medium

Calories 366 kcal

Tender eggplants stuffed with spiced ground lamb, rice, and fresh herbs, braised in a tomato-based sauce until meltingly soft. Part of Azerbaijan's beloved dolma family of stuffed vegetable dishes.

Ingredients

4 medium eggplants
300g ground lamb
100g short-grain rice, soaked
1 large onion, diced
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tomatoes, grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt, pepper, and turmeric to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1 Cut tops off eggplants and hollow out, leaving 1cm walls.
2 Mix lamb, rice, onion, herbs, salt, pepper, and turmeric.
3 Stuff eggplants with the mixture and replace tops.
4 Place upright in a pot. Mix grated tomato with tomato paste and water, pour around.
5 Drizzle with oil, cover, and simmer on low heat for 50 minutes.
6 Serve with the tomato sauce spooned over.

Did You Know?

The three-vegetable dolma platter (eggplant, tomato, and pepper) is called uch bacı dolması, meaning three sisters dolma, and is one of the most photographed dishes in Azerbaijani cuisine.