Kuru Dolma, Stuffed Dried Eggplants are one of the best dolma recipes in Turkish cuisine. Dried veggies are always way more flavorful than fresh ones and that's why these taste divine!
We have an obsession with stuffed vegetables or dolma as we say in Turkish. Dolma is one of the most traditional Turkish recipes and it can be made with a variety of vegetables. We often make biber dolma, stuffed bell peppers in summer and stuffed dried eggplants and peppers in winter.
Jump to:
What are Dried Eggplants and Peppers?
Have you ever visited Turkey? If yes, you might have seen batches of dried eggplants (kuru patlican) and dried peppers (kuru biber) on strings hanging at bazaars or spice shops. Among several other dried vegetables and fruit, these two are the most popular ones.
How are eggplants and bell peppers dried? The flesh in fresh eggplants are hollowed out with a corer and the inner side is rubbed with salt. Then they are lined on a string with the help of a needle and dried under the sun.
A similar method is used for green bell peppers. Their top is cut off and seeds are removed. They are dried under the sun on strings and they get a reddish color as they are exposed to sunlight.
Traditionally, eggplants and bell peppers were dried for winter months when it wasn’t very easy to find the fresh ones. And they were basically used to make kuru dolma, stuffed dried veggies and cooked together.
Today, stuffed dried eggplants and peppers (kurutulmus patlican ve biber dolmasi) have become very popular as a special food to serve at occasions. They are even one of the popular mezze foods served at meyhane restaurants. So they are no longer limited to winter months.
About The Ingredients
Besides dried eggplants and peppers, we use a mixture of rice and bulgur for the filling. The rest of the filling ingredients are almost the same as our stuffed grape leaves dolma and cabbage rolls, both of which are vegetarian too.
The nutty taste of bulgur wheat matches perfectly with the intense flavor of sun-dried bell peppers and eggplants. We use medium or coarse bulgur, so try to get them. If you want to keep the recipe gluten-free or can’t find bulgur, replace it with rice.
Another ingredient that gives a nice tangy flavor to the filling of kuru dolma is pomegranate molasses. You can find it at Middle Eastern stores. If you can’t find it, use extra lemon juice instead.
As for the tangy and garlicky sauce, we mix olive oil, tomato paste, dried mint, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. We spread this sauce at the bottom of the pan in which we cook kuru dolma.
How To Make Kuru Dolma Recipe
Prepare Dried Eggplants and Dried Peppers
You need to blanch them before stuffing so that they are soft and flexible enough. To do this, Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat. Drop the dried eggplants and dried peppers in it. Blanch them for 3-5 minutes or until they are soft. Use a slotted spoon and transfer them into a strainer. Rinse under cold water.
Prepare the Filling
In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. You can taste and adjust the spices, salt or tanginess to your taste.
Make the Dolma Sauce
In a shallow pan, put olive oil, tomato paste, dried mint, mashed garlic, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice. Give it a stir and spread it at the bottom of the pan. Put it aside.
Stuff the Eggplants and Peppers and Cook
Use a tablespoon or your hand to stuff each eggplant and pepper with the filling (about 1 and ½ tablespoons). Leave about 0,4 inch/1 cm space at the top because the rice and bulgur will double in size as they cook. Gently press the top edges of each eggplant and pepper to close their top.
Place the kuru dolma on the sauce in the pan, packed tightly. Pour 1 and ½ cups hot water and let them cook over medium high heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to the lowest when it starts to boil and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is soft.
What to Serve Kuru Dolma With
Like other stuffed vegetables, kuru dolma is served with some homemade yogurt or strained thick yogurt on the side. If you want, you can serve cacik (cucumber yogurt dip) instead of plain yogurt.
Also, a type of fresh salad like shepherd salad often accompanies too.
FAQs
You can look for them at Turkish and Middle Eastern markets or online markets.
They have a more concentrated flavor than fresh eggplants and peppers. You feel a similar taste of sun-dried tomatoes or smoked spices. When they are stuffed with a tangy, spiced and herbed rice filling, they become incredibly scrumptious.
More Stuffed Vegetables
- Beef and Rice Stuffed Onions
- Turkish Stuffed Zucchini
- Turkish Cabbage Rolls
- Feta Stuffed Red Peppers
More Eggplant Recipes
You Might Also Like
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
Sign up for the FREE GiveRecipe Newsletter to get the new recipes into your inbox! And stay in touch with us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram for all the latest updates.
📖 Recipe
Kuru Dolma - Stuffed Dried Eggplants and Peppers)
INGREDIENTS
- 15 pieces dried eggplants
- 10 pieces dried bell peppers
Filling:
- 1 cup rice rinsed well
- 3 tablespoons bulgur wheat coarse
- 1 large onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic chopped finely
- 1 large tomato chopped finely
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 clove garlic mashed
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare dried eggplants and peppers: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat. Drop the eggplants and peppers in it. Blanch them for 3-5 minutes or until they are soft. Use a slotted spoon and transfer them into a strainer. Rinse under cold water.
- Filling: In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients.
- Sauce: In a shallow pan, put olive oil, tomato paste, dried mint, mashed garlic, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice. Give it a stir and spread it at the bottom of the pan. Put it aside.
- Stuff the eggplants and peppers and cook:
- Stuff each egpplant and pepper with the filling (about 1 and ½ tablespoons), leaving about 0,4 inch/1 cm space at the top because the rice and bulgur will double in size as they cook. Gently press the top edges of each eggplant and pepper to close their top.
- Place them on the sauce in the pan, packed tightly.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Samah@ Good Cooks says
Hi, I never tried to dry any and never heard of that, but looks a good idea. I'm a middle eastern and love the stuffed eggplant especially, it's available year long in our home, but once I came to live in US I bairly find it during the summer months only, I mean the small, one the one for stuffing. I tried to freeze some and it turned good after cooking. I am sure now will try to dry it. Thanks so much for sharing. Your post is so helpful.
Zerrin says
Hi Samah, I'm sure you will love it more when you stuff it dried. Dried eggplants and peppers have a wonderful flavor, reminding summer!
miriam says
thank for sending me here..these look exquisite....if i want to use mince meat in the filling ,would i change anything about the recipe( spices etc) ..and would i add it raw to filling?
Zerrin says
Miriam, Mince meat would make it even tastier. Just add it as it is, no need to cook it. And no need to change anything else in the filling.
Jacky says
Thank you for you delicious recipe with dried aubergines. I came across your site, searching for a way how to make these dry aubergines. Our plants made so many that we can't eat them all now, and I remember years ago I had seen dry, emptied aubergines on a string in a Turkish shop. I suppose emptying them and sprinkling with salt, but do they first to be dried in an oven or straight to be hanged in the sun. And how much time it would take to be dried well? Please tell me everything you know about it.
Thank you very much.
Zerrin says
Hi Jacky, if you have excessive amount of aubergines, the best way to keep them for long is to dry them. One way to do this is to carve aubergines. Sprinkle a little salt inside them and line them on a string with the help of a thick needle. Make sure they are not very close to one another, they should have enough room in between. Then hang them somewhere dry and exposed to wind. They don't have to be right under sunlight, wind is more important for them to dry. You can store their insides in plastic bags in your freezer to use in some dishes. The second way is to cut them in finger shapes, sprinkle salt on them, line them on string and dry in the same way. Duration of this drying process depends on the climate of your area. If humidity is low there, 2 weeks might be enough. But it might last almost about a month if the area is not that dry. Hope this information is helpful for you!
Helen Erturk says
Another lovely recipe Zerrin!
I put ground beef or very finely cut chicken in too as well as half rice, half bulgar and then serve with garlic yoghurt.
Zerrin says
Thank you Helen. Half rice, half bulgur and ground beef make a great filling to stuff these beauties.
The Mom Chef says
This might actually be the way to get me to eat dolma. I've never been a fan because the eggplant, green pepper and tomato get so slimy when cooked. I think your dried version is gorgeous. Thank you for sharing it.
OysterCulture says
This recipe sounds amazing, I've been making stuffed peppers lately, but I think I need to turn my attention to eggplant.
We take off our shoes before entering a house, not necessarily a custom, but just know that what we've walked on in the street is not that good. As to a custom, when I visit someone I like to bring a gift, a jar of homemade jam or other goodie as a sign of friendship.
mely(mexicoinmykitchen) says
We take our shoes off inside the house and place them inside a small closet next to entry door. But this is here in US. In Mexico that custom doesn't exist that I know of.
I would try to cook this with fresh eggplant since dried ones are not sold here. I hope it works.
Mely
PS. it is hard to comment with the captcha code.
Zerrin says
Mely, you can of course use this recipe for fresh eggplants too. As for the captcha code, I've newly discovered it and I'm happy to find it. I had to deal with millions of spams a day before this code, not it helps me filter spams and I just see real comments.
Nikki says
This looks fantastic! I've never had dried eggplant before. Must try!
Fight the Fat Foodie says
Another winner!
Tiffany says
We do not wear shoes in the house in my family, but I am not sure where the tradition comes from!!!
lianne says
lovely recipe. i actually like to marinate or soak blackened peppers in extra virgin olive oil. the same goes for sun dried tomatoes.just serve with some nice fresh feta or some ripe Roquefort, and maybe sprinke with toasted pitta bread. regarding shoes in the house i am with you all the way. we leave our slippers in the entrance hall and when we get home its shoes off and slippers on.