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Kabak çiçeği dolması
Kabak çiçeği dolması: courgette flowers stuffed with herby rice and cooked in olive oil
In the Aegean villages around Ödemiş and Bodrum, women gather courgette flowers at dawn while they are still open, and by lunchtime they have been stuffed with a fragrant rice of tomato, mint, dill and pine nuts and gently simmered in olive oil. Served at room temperature as part of a summer meze spread, they are delicate and almost sweet. Pick (or buy) the male flowers on long stems, and use them the same day. Chef's tip: twist the petal tips closed rather than folding them; a gentle twist holds the filling better in the pot.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
For the flowers
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Warm ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion and ⅔ oz pine nuts for 6 minutes, until the onion is soft and the nuts golden.
6 minStep 2: Stir in 5 ½ oz short-grain rice for 2 minutes, then off the heat mix in 1 ripe tomato, ⅓ oz fresh mint, ½ oz dill, ½ tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. The rice stays raw; it cooks inside the flowers.
2 minStep 3: Gently open each of the 20 courgette flowers, check for insects, and spoon in a heaped teaspoon of filling, filling only two-thirds. Common mistake: packing them full; the rice swells and splits the petals.
Step 4: Twist the petal tips closed and lay the flowers snugly in a wide pan in one layer.
Step 5: Pour in 1 cup hot water and 2 tbsp lemon juice, drizzle with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, set a small plate on top and simmer on a low heat for 25–30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
30 minStep 6: Cool in the pan, then serve at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 35 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kabak çiçeği dolması take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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