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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Appetizers

    Biber Dolmasi - Turkish Stuffed Peppers

    Published: Jul 19, 2021 · Modified: Aug 2, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These delicious vegetarian Turkish Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi) are filled with aromatic stuffing made of rice, onions, pine nuts, currants, and various herbs/spices. You can serve them as a side dish as well as the main meal or an appetizer. The leftovers are great for boxed lunch the next day or a picnic.

    Biber Dolmasi (Turkish stuffed peppers) served with cacik
    Turkish Biber Dolma is usually served at room temperature with a slice of lemon and Cacik (Turkish Yoghurt with Cucumbers).
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Biber Dolmasi - Turkish Stuffed Peppers

    Stuffed vegetables (which is translated as "dolma") are very popular in Turkey. There are various recipes for the stuffing; some recipes include meat and some recipes replace the rice with bulgur. The other vegetables often used for dolma are tomatoes, courgettes, onions, wine leaves, and aubergines.

    Biber Dolmasi Turkish stuffed peppers

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • Biber Dolmasi is versatile, you can fill them with minced meat, onions, and rice for a non-vegetarian version.
    • You can make this healthy vegan dish a couple of days ahead.
    • Turkish stuffed peppers can be served cold or at room temperature as a part of a buffet or mezze spread.
    • You can use this aromatic rice filling with different species and colors of peppers.
    • They are much easier to make than other stuffed vegetables or Yaprak Sarma - Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves) because the peppers don't need much preparation. 

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for Biber Dolmasi

    What peppers to use for dolma?

    Turkish mini bell peppers, called Dolmalik Biber in Turkey which means "pepper for stuffing" are best for making Biber Dolmasi. They have a rich smoky-sweet flavor and they are ideal for stuffing. These small green bell peppers have thin skin which makes them more pleasant to eat. You can also use jalapeño peppers, red romano peppers, or bell peppers if you can't get hold of Turkish mini bell peppers.

    • Rice - Any short-grain rice would work with this recipe. Make sure you wash the rice under running cold water to get rid of the starch.
    • Pine nuts - They are great for adding some texture and nutty flavor to dishes such as Yaprak Sarma - Dolma, Rice Stuffed Chicken, or Vegan Moussaka without Béchamel. Omit them if you have nut allergies or you don't have them in hand.
    • Currants - They are small dried raisins and a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. Although they are typically used for baked goods, it is common to use them in cooking Turkish Cuisine.
    • Olive Oil - It is an important ingredient to achieve the best taste in olive oil-based dishes. I prefer extra virgin olive oil but you can use any oil you like cooking with.
    • Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it from Amazon .

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    This is a straightforward recipe to follow. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Prepare the Rice Filling

    Place a medium-size saucepan on low heat and add olive oil along with the onions. Gently sauté them until soft and translucent.

    Sautéing the onions with olive oil in a wok
    Sauté the onions

    Toss in the pine nuts and sauté together on low heat with the onions until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.

    Pine nuts are added to the pan for sautéing until slightly brown

    Add the rice along with the blackcurrants and cook for a few minutes.

    Rice and currants are added to onions and pine nuts

    Stir in the lemon juice, ½ cup of water, cinnamon, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, dried mint, sugar, salt, and tomato paste, and cover the pan with a lid.

    The spices&herbs, tomato paste are added to the rice filling
    Add the spices

    Cook until the water evaporates, take the pan off the heat then add the parsley along with the dill.

    chopped parsley is added to the rice filling

    The rice will continue cooking with the peppers so it's ok if they are still crunchy. Give the mixture a stir and let it cool down for 10 minutes before stuffing the peppers.

    The stuffing is cooling down for stuffing the peppers

    Prepare the Peppers

    You can prepare the peppers while the onions are slowly cooking. Cut off the stalks of the peppers gently and scoop out the seeds. Wash your peppers and lightly season with salt. Set aside until the filling is ready.

    peppers prepared for Biber Dolmasi

    Stuff the Peppers and Cook

    When the filling cooled down a bit, stuff 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 saucepan tightly.

    Biber Dolmasi is stuffed with rice filling and is ready to cook

    Dilute the tomato paste in water and add to the pan. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until the rice is soft.

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • 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.

    Serving Suggestions

    You can serve these delicious peppers with some garlicky yogurt and a piece of bread as a meal.

    Some bread recipes you might enjoy having with your dolma are:
    Tawa Naan with Garlic, Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes), Homemade Sandwich Bread, Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread), and Greek Pita Bread.
    Dolma is also great to serve with salads such as Greek Cucumber Salad, Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad), Warm Austrian Potato Salad, or Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad).

    Recipe FAQs

    What peppers are used in Turkish food?

    The most common pepper used in Turkish cooking is called "sivri biber". It has a long shape and is usually spicy hot. It is perfect for grilling, frying, or using in stews.
    Another common pepper that I use for Turkish recipes is called "carliston". It is a mild pepper with a lime green color. They can grow the size about 20 cm long and 4 cm wide. They are perfect for deep frying and serving with yogurt or for salads!
    And lastly, "dolmalik biber" with a rich smoky-sweet flavor and thin skin which makes them more pleasant to eat. These small green bell peppers are ideal for stuffing.

    How to store the leftovers?

    The leftover Biber Dolmasi would keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days. I dont recommend freezing the leftovers as the texture of the peppers and rice would change and get soggy!

    Do you have to cook peppers before stuffing?

    No, you can and should stuff the peppers without cooking them first. They will cook at the same time as the rice stuffing cooks.

    Related Recipes

    For more scrumptious vegetarian side dishes why not try:

    • Lebanese Fattoush Salad
    • Onion Bhaji (Onion Pakora)
    • Mushroom Rice (Mushroom Pilau)
    • Swede and Carrot Mash

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these vegetarian rice-stuffed Turkish peppers as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun! 

    Biber Dolmasi Turkish stuffed peppers

    Biber Dolmasi - Turkish Stuffed Peppers

    Ayla Clulee
    These delicious vegetarian Turkish Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi) are filled with aromatic stuffing made of rice, onions, pine nuts, currants, and various herbs/spices. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 10 pieces
    Calories 191 kcal

    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
    • 30 g pine nuts
    • 2 large onions (small diced)
    • 30 g black currants
    • 200 g short grain or pudding rice (1 cup)
    • 60 ml lemon juice ¼ cup
    • 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)

    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. Set 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: 191kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 373mgPotassium: 441mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 4372IUVitamin C: 175mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ayla

      August 03, 2021 at 2:59 pm

      5 stars
      Just tried this recipe last night for the first time and it was a success! My boyfriend and I loved it. Thank you!

      Reply
    2. Ayca

      August 07, 2021 at 6:12 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious stuffed pepper recipe, it is full of flavors and very health and light meal! Absolute favorite

      Reply
      • Ayla Clulee

        August 08, 2021 at 5:06 am

        Thank you, I am glad you like it ☺️.

        Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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