1606. Baked Onion Dolmades

We Arabs have an affinity to stuffed foods that is shared with our lovely neighbor, the Turks. These delicious soft melting stuffed onions are quite simple to prepare, but they did wow me in their flavor profile. 

What's more, they are baked, not cooked stovetop, which means that the tops get the most wonderful char and blister, adding further to the flavor.

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

225g ground beef

1 Tbsp tomato paste 

1 ½ cups rice 

1 tsp black pepper 

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried mint

2 tsp salt

½ cup parsley, chopped

To stuff:

8 medium onions

Sauce:

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried mint 

2 cups water 

2 Tbsp  olive oil

Method:

Filling: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat and cook onion until translucent. Add in tomato paste and cook together for a minute. Add in ground beef. Cook it pressing over it so that there are no blocks left. It will release its juice and then absorb it back. Stir occasionally.

Now add in rice and spices. Stir then add a cup of water. Cook it covered over low heat for 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat and add in chopped parsley. 

Prepare Onions and Stuff Them: Peel the onions and cut the tops and bottoms. Then cut them on one side into the center from top to bottom. Don’t cut them in half, just one side.

Bring a pot full of water to a boil. Put the onions in the pot and let them cook for 10 minutes or until the onions are tender. Drain and let them cool.

When the onions are cool enough, separate out the layers.

Preheat the oven at 400F.

Put about a tablespoon of filling in each onion layer and wrap it loosely around the filling, leaving some space for the rice to rise. Place them in a baking pan.

Sauce: Combine tomato paste, dried mint, water and olive oil in a bowl. 

Pour it over the stuffed onions in the baking pan. 

Bake and Serve: Bake them for 30 minutes, until the top of onions are brown and the sauce is reduced.

Remove from heat, let it rest for 15 minutes. Serve with a little sauce and fresh lemon wedges.

صحة و عافية