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.
Michelle says
OH my gosh! I never thought about drying sweet peppers before. What a great idea and drying intensifies the taste so much, can't wait to try it out!
Stina says
Looks nice.:-)
Stina
Jorie says
The peppers look delicious especially with the yogurt sauce! In Seattle and NYC most people I know taked their shoes off when they enter a home. For parties it is usually okay to leave shoes on. Some party outfits wouldn't look so fabulous without shoes and I'm on the shorter side so this works for me.
Eftychia says
The recipe sounds delicious. In Cyprus we do the same but we use fresh eggplants and peppers. Give it a try. I am sure you will love it. Vegetable stock or chicken stock will make it even more delicious.
Thank you for sharing!
Island Vittles says
I've never seen dried eggplants before...ooh if only I lived in the Meditteranean! Your dish looks delicious. Theresa
Joseph says
I would make that yogurt garlicky and maybe some melted butter on it. Drooling!
Zerrin says
Yogurt with garlic sounds like a great topping!
RavieNomNoms says
Wow I bet that is really good, I have never thought to try this with dried vegetables. I will have to do that and see how it comes out. I bet the flavor is fantastic!
lisabbakes says
I have never had dried eggplant. Do you know if they sell them commercially? These look wonderful!
Zerrin says
These are sold in some markets here, so maybe you can find them at Middle Eastern grocery stores.
Gloria in Western Canada says
I can't say I've ever seen a dried eggplant. I can imagine they would be fabulous given what drying does for mushrooms. I'll have to ask next time I'm at the Middle Eastern grocery I shop at occasionally. Thanks for posting this Zerrin.
Monet says
This looks so delicious...I have never dried eggplants before, but I imagine that the flavor is wonderful...very concentrated. We also take off our shoes when we enter our house. My dad often forgets though, which drives me crazy. Thank you for sharing your recipe with me! I'm hungry now...it must be time for lunch. Have a great Monday!
Stamatia says
Here we take off our shoes just inside the door, the entryway (space just inside the door, with a closet on one side for one's coats and shoes) is usually tiled and the space just in front of the door has a rug. This is so that it is easy to clean up any dirt. The streets here are usually quite clean, but in the winter they put sand or a sort of brown salt on the snowy, icy roads to make them less slippery...this gets on your shoes and boots, making a mess in the house if you go beyond the rug. We usually transfer our boots to a hard rubber or plastic mat with grooves a bit like a tire, so that the water can drip from the boots and then dry, rather than get the rug soggy. I have a little shelf-thing for other shoes too, so we don't have to rummage through the closet.
I grew up in a house where we didn't wear shoes indoors at all, only slippers sometimes if our feet are cold. I usually just go about in my sock feet or even barefoot; if I need to go somewhere else in our building (to get the mail or do laundry), I'll put slippers on or some sort of slip-on shoe.
My fiance likes the support of a hard-soled slipper, and is never ever barefoot; I prefer to let my feet be free and as comfortable as possible!
Zerrin says
Thnak you Stamatia for sharing these here. Actually, there is a similar rug in some houses here, too. The rule is mainly 'Do not walk in the house with your shoes!' Some people do just like you do. And there are people who would rather be barefoot inside, especially in Summer as it's very hot here. Glad to learn that we are not the only people taking off shoes 🙂
Travel Food Phil says
Hey Zerrin, might try taking my shoes off everytime I enter my apartment after reading this, completely makes sense! Love the recipe as well, something that can be made all year round.
Kate @ Diethood.com says
Where I come from, it's quite the opposite, especially if you are coming into the house as a guest. We see it rude for you to take off your shoes because we don't want to smell your feet. hahaha 🙂 It's funny, but true! 🙂
I love stuffed peppers, but I've never stuffed a dried pepper - thank you for sharing!
Sandra says
Zerrin this is wonderful recipe, and I do love your photos! Just stunning!
Thanks for sharing!
Jackie (Phamfatale.com) says
Did you dry the vegetables yourself?
Zerrin says
Mom dried for me and gave me a big bag of these.