Turkish Stuffed Dried Eggplant (& Peppers)
Ingredients
- 12 dried eggplant shells
- 12 dried bell pepper shells
- 1 cup rice rinsed
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salcasi)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for the filling)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried mint
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-3 cups water
- 1 tsp sumac
- 30 ml (+2 tbsp) olive oil (for cooking)
Instructions
- Cut the strings of the dried eggplants and peppers, if necessary, and place into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them and leave for 4-7 minutes to rehydrate. They should be soft. Drain and immediately refill with cold water to retain their color and texture. When ready to use, drain again.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons. olive oil. Put in the onions and saute until soft, add garlic, pepper paste, tomato paste, parsley, spices, salt, and black ground pepper to your taste. Saute 2 minutes, add rice and bulgar, and saute a few more minutes.
- Add 2 cups of hot water and pomegranate molasses and mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover, and let cool.
- Get a wide, heavy pan that will hold the pepper and eggplant standing up in one layer. Pour in 2 tbsp. olive oil. Spoon the filling mixture carefully into each pepper and eggplant, pressing gently for the filling to settle in. Leave about a half-inch space at the top for the rice to expand. Place them upright, side by side, packed tightly.
- Mix the sumac with about 2 cups of water over and around the stuffed peppers and eggplants. The water should cover half the length of the stuffed vegetables. Over a medium high flame, bring the liquid to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have a chance .
Notes
You can serve these warm, at room temperature, or cold. A sauce of yogurt, garlic, and salt goes well with them.
