This soğan dolması is one of the easiest and tastiest dolmas you can make. I used a mixture of red and yellow medium to large onions, they look so pretty and taste delicious, though you can use either. Baking brings extra natural sweetness to the onions and a touch of tangy pomegranate molasses in the filling adds a delicious tang. I used ground/minced lamb in the filling – you can use other meat, just make sure it has about 15-20 % fat for flavour. You can also use a vegetarian filling; I love loads of sauteed onions, pine nuts, currants, herbs in the filling, along with rice or cooked green lentils as a vegetarian filling.
Soğan dolması really is a delicious, good value feast to share with family and friends. You can prepare ahead; flavours develop and it tastes even nicer the next day – it is gluten-free too. Make sure to have creamy garlicy yoghurt aside- an indispensable part of dolma experience for us.
We are a nation of dolma lovers and I love the ritual of dolma making at home, where generations get together and make dolma; I was lucky enough to make many dolmas with my parents and grandparents. You will find one of my favourites, Biber Dolması, Stuffed peppers with aromatic rice and ground/minced meat, in my new cookery book İSTANBUL, Delicious Recipes from the Heart of the City – you can order a copy HERE worldwide.
Afiyet olsun,
Ozlem x
- 6 medium to large yellow and red onions
- For the filling:
- 200g/7oz minced/ground lamb – or beef, 20% fat
- 225g/8oz long or short grain rice, rinsed
- Small, core parts of the cooked onions, finely chopped
- Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped (save 1 tsp for serving)
- 2tsp dried mint
- 2tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 3tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
- 2tbsp Turkish red pepper paste
- 85ml/3fl oz water
- 2tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the sauce:
- 55g/2oz butter, melted
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste
- 450ml/16fl oz water
- For the garlic yoghurt:
- 2-3 garlic cloves crushed with salt and finely chopped
- 400g/14 oz plain yoghurt
- Trim both ends of the onions, peel the skin and layer beneath, as it can be tough. Using a knife, make a vertical incision on each onion, until you reach the half point, the core of each onion (this helps to separate the layers, after boiling). Gently place the onions on a large pan of boiling water, partially cover and simmer for 10 minutes; onion layers will soften but not be mushy. Drain the water and place the softened onions on a large tray to cool.
- Once cool, gently separate the onion layers, discarding the thin membranes on onion layers; take care not to tear the onion layers.
- Save the smaller core parts of the onions; finely dice them to add to a large bowl, for the filling. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients except the meat. Season (2 tsp salt recommended) and knead with your hands to combine well. Stir in the meat and combine again. Filling needs to be a little loose, hence the addition of water is important.
- Preheat oven to fan 180C/200C/400F. Have a 30cm diameter round or square baking dish, 6 cm deep.
- To stuff the onion, take a layer and place about 1 ½ tbsp of the filling on the inner side and roll to seal (it will look like a fat shallot shape. Place on the baking dish. Keep on stuffing and layering each soğan dolması next to one another, quite snug, in one layer.
- Combine the sauce ingredients, season with salt and pepper and gently pour over the stuffed onions. Cover the dish and bake for 45 minutes. Then uncover and bake for further 15 minutes; most of the sauce would be absorbed and the dolmas have a lovely golden colour with dark brown patches. Cover and let the dolma to rest for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, combine the garlic with yoghurt, season to taste.
- Serve soğan dolması with a little sauce over and sprinkle of parsley and garlic yoghurt aside.
