Stuffed Onions
Stuffed Onions, or Soğan Dolması, are soft onion layers filled with ground beef, rice, parsley, tomato paste, and spices, then cooked slowly in a tomato and pomegranate molasses sauce.
Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 51kcal
Ingredients
- 5 large onions
- 9 oz ground beef (250 grams)
- ¾ cup short-grain rice (150 grams)
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoon good quality olive oil
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon allspice
For the Sauce
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Instructions
Prepare the Onions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Peel the onions and cut a small slice off the top and bottom of each onion.
- Carefully cut halfway down the center from top to bottom with a small sharp knife. Avoid cutting all the way through or the onions will fall apart.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and blanch the onions in simmering water for about 10 minutes. This will soften them and make it easier to separate the layers.
- Remove the onions from the water using tongs and let them cool slightly.
- Carefully separate the layers, trying to keep them as intact as possible. These layers will form the "shells" for your stuffing.
Prepare the Rice Filling
- Finely chop the inner remaining onion layers and place them in a bowl.
- Add rinsed rice, ground beef, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, paprika, allspice, and chopped parsley to the chopped onions.
- Mix well to combine all the flavors.
Stuff the Onions
- Take a layer of onion and gently fill it with the rice mixture. Be careful not to overfill, as the rice will expand as it cooks.
- Fold the sides of the onion layer over the filling to create a neat little parcel.
- Place the stuffed onion in a pot, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining onions and filling.
Cook the Stuffed Onions
- Once all the onions are stuffed and in the pot, mix together 1 ½ cups of water with 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses.
- Pour the mixture carefully over the stuffed onions. Place a small heatproof plate over the onions.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rice is fully cooked and the onions are tender.
- Let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use large yellow or white onions for the easiest layers to separate and fill.
- Buy one extra onion if possible. Onion sizes and usable layers can vary.
- Do not boil the onions for too long. They should soften but still hold their shape.
- Finely chop the small inner onion pieces and add them to the filling.
- Use short-grain white rice and do not cook it before filling the onions.
- Do not overfill the onion layers. Leave room for the rice to expand.
- Arrange the stuffed onions seam side down and close together in a wide pot.
- A small heatproof plate placed over the parcels helps keep them closed while they cook.
- The sauce should come partway up the sides of the onion parcels. It does not need to cover them.
- Ground lamb or a mix of ground lamb and ground beef can be used instead of ground beef.
- For a vegetarian version, use the filling from my Yaprak Sarma recipe.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 138mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 42IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.3mg