Festive Stuffed Peppers

Turkish stuffed peppers filled with rice, herbs, currants and pine nuts, baked gently in a tomato-olive oil sauce.

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Zeytinyağlı biber dolması is a classic olive-oil dish served warm or at room temperature. The rice goes in only partly cooked because it finishes inside the peppers.

Ingredients

• 8 small bell peppers (tops cut off and seeds removed)
• 220 g short-grain rice (rinsed)
• 80 ml olive oil (divided)
• 1 onion (finely diced)
• 30 g pine nuts
• 35 g currants (soaked and drained)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp fresh dill (chopped)
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
• 2 tbsp fresh mint (chopped)
• 1.25 tsp fine salt (divided)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 400 ml hot water (divided)
• 1 tomato (sliced into pieces to cap peppers)

Step-by-step method

1. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and pine nuts for 5–6 minutes until the onion is soft and the nuts are lightly golden.
2. Add the rice, currants, tomato paste, allspice, cinnamon, half the salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add 200 ml hot water, cover and cook over low heat for about 8 minutes. The rice should be only partly cooked. Cool for 10 minutes, then fold in the dill, parsley and mint.
4. Fill each pepper about three-quarters full, leaving room for the rice to expand. Cap each with a small piece of tomato.
5. Arrange the peppers upright in a snug baking dish. Mix the remaining hot water, olive oil and salt and pour around the peppers.
6. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 190°C conventional or 170°C fan for 40 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the rice is fully cooked.
8. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. They are excellent warm or at room temperature.