Turkish-style zucchini
Description
The recipe won't take much time. To give the dish the distinctive flavor and aroma of Turkish cuisine, we'll use bulgur instead of rice, and add dried mint to the meat mixture as a seasoning. Be sure to try making this delicious dish. Serve hot.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare the necessary ingredients for stuffing the zucchini. You can use either young or larger zucchini. There's no need to peel the zucchini—the skin will soften during cooking and the dish will retain its shape. For mature zucchini, you may remove parts of the skin, alternating between peeled and unpeeled strips. Use ready-made ground meat or grind the meat yourself using a meat grinder. If you plan to make an original version of dolma, use beef or lamb. Otherwise, you can use any other type of meat: pork, poultry, or a mixture.
- 2
Step 2
Wash the zucchini thoroughly, slice into rounds 4-5 cm high. Make a cross-shaped cut in the center with a knife.
- 3
Step 3
Using a spoon, remove the pulp with the seeds. You can completely remove the core or leave the bottoms intact, like little cups.
- 4
Step 4
For the filling, pour boiling water over the bulgur and let it cool completely. Then rinse the grain under running water and drain in a sieve to remove excess moisture.
- 5
Step 5
In a bowl, combine the filling ingredients: ground meat, bulgur, onion sautéed in a small amount of olive oil, salt, black pepper, thyme, oregano, mint, and red chili pepper. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
- 6
Step 6
In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Fill the zucchini boats with the meat stuffing and place them in the saucepan, pressing them tightly against each other. The spaces between the zucchinis can be filled with potato slices.
- 7
Step 7
Slice the onion into thin strips. Grate the carrot on a grater. Chop the garlic.
- 8
Step 8
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan, add onion, grated carrot, and garlic. Sauté the vegetables for 3-4 minutes until soft.
- 9
Step 9
Add tomato paste, dried herbs (thyme, basil, oregano), bay leaf, salt, and sugar to the sautéed vegetables to balance the sour taste. Pour in 1 cup of water and bring the sauce to a boil. Optionally, instead of water, you can use broth or add a bouillon cube for a richer flavor.
- 10
Step 10
Pour the ready-made tomato sauce into the saucepan with the stuffed zucchinis. Cover the dish with a lid and simmer over low heat until done, about 40 minutes.
- 11
Step 11
Serve the stuffed zucchini with a yogurt-based sauce, sprinkled with fresh herbs. This simple, flavorful, and hearty dish is especially delicious when prepared during the season of sun-ripened fresh vegetables. Enjoy cooking!