The most important choice in this dish is made at the market: soft tomatoes collapse completely in the oven. Buy firm, ripe but solid tomatoes. Do not throw away the flesh you scoop out either; the moisture and the flavour of the filling come from there.
Ingredients
For the dolma
For cooking
Method
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Hollow the tomatoes
Cut the tops off as lids and scoop out the insides with a spoon into a bowl.
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Season them
Sprinkle a pinch of sugar inside each tomato; it balances the acidity.
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Make the filling
Fry the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, add the mince and cook until it takes its liquid back up.
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Add the flesh
Add the tomato flesh you set aside and the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes.
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Finish
Take off the heat and stir in the rice, salt and parsley.
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Fill and bake
Fill the tomatoes to three quarters and put the lids back on. Stand them in a tray, pour hot water in from the side and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
Tips
- Do not buy soft tomatoes; the skin collapses in the oven and the filling spreads across the tray.
- The sugar does not sweeten, it balances the acidity of the tomato. A pinch is enough.
- Pack them tightly in the tray; the tomatoes hold each other up and keep their shape.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.