Ingredients

• 8 piece bell peppers
• 200 g long grain rice
• 120 ml olive oil
• 1 piece onion
• 50 g pine nuts
• 30 g currants
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 10 piece fresh mint
• 1 piece tomato
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 ml water

Instructions

1. Prepare the peppers

   Wash the bell peppers and cut off the tops about 1cm from the stem. Remove all seeds and white membranes inside using a small spoon. Trim the bottoms slightly if needed to help peppers stand upright. The peppers should have clean, hollow cavities. Do not pierce the walls or they will leak during cooking.

2. Make the filling base

   Finely dice the onion into 3mm pieces. Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the diced onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add pine nuts and cook for 2 minutes until lightly golden. Do not let the onion brown or the pine nuts burn.

3. Add aromatics

   Grate the tomato on the large holes of a grater, discarding the skin. Add tomato paste to the pan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the grated tomato, cinnamon, and sugar. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomato releases its moisture and the mixture thickens slightly. Do not let it stick to the bottom.

4. Cook the rice

   Rinse the rice under cold water until water runs clear. Add rice to the pan with the tomato mixture. Add 200ml water, currants, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat for 2 minutes, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until rice is half-cooked and most liquid is absorbed. Do not cook completely as rice will finish cooking inside peppers.

5. Finish the filling

   Remove the pan from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Finely chop the dill and mint leaves. Stir the fresh herbs into the rice mixture until evenly distributed. The filling should be moist but not wet, with visible herbs throughout. Do not add herbs while hot or they will lose their color and flavor.

6. Stuff the peppers

   Using a spoon, fill each pepper with the rice mixture, leaving about 1cm space at the top. Gently tap peppers on the counter to settle filling. Place pepper tops back on as lids. The filling should not be packed too tightly as rice will expand during cooking.

7. Cook the dolmas

   Arrange stuffed peppers upright in a heavy-bottomed pot. Mix remaining olive oil with 200ml water and pour around peppers. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over low heat for 35-40 minutes until peppers are tender and rice is fully cooked. Do not lift the lid frequently as steam is needed for proper cooking.

8. Cool and serve

   Remove from heat and let cool in the pot for 15 minutes with lid on. Transfer peppers to serving plates with some of the cooking liquid. Let cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving. The peppers should be completely tender when pierced with a fork. Do not serve hot as flavors need time to meld.

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