Almost Turkish Recipes

Stuffed Poblanos (Etli Poblano Dolması)



























This is a classic "almost" Turkish recipe with the substitution of poblanos for small bell peppers. I've been craving stuffed peppers for a long time, but small green bell peppers haven't showed up at the farmers market yet. I hate flavorless huge bell peppers at the stores. A sensible Turk would not call them peppers. They don't smell or taste anything like peppers; their skin is really thick; and they hold almost half a kilo of rice. So I decided to stuff flavorsome poblanos and I did my best to choose not very big ones. This was my first stuffed poblano, and it was delicious!

To make this a "very" Turkish recipe, use small, thin-skin green bell peppers.

for 4 poblanos

4 reasonable size poblano peppers
1/3 lb ground beef (if you want, you can use 1/2 lb ground meet)
1/4 cup rice
2 medium size onions, finely chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 dill, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2-3 tomatoes, petite diced
1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1-1 1/2 cups hot water
1 tomato, sliced
























-Wash peppers, cut the tops parts and clean inside.
-In a bowl mix well ground meat, rice, onion, parsley, dill, mint, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes (and tomato paste if you like). It'll be better mixed if you use your hand.
-Stuff poblanos with the mix. Seal the top with a slice of tomato.
-Place them in a broad pot.
-Pour hot water on (make sure water is 1/2 inch below the poblanos)
-Cut butter into small pieces and place on top of poblanos.
-Cook on medium for 45-50 minutes.
-Stuffed peppers are good when served with yogurt on the side. And soak that juice with fresh bread!


14 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:13 AM

    These have made me hungry :) Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I tried your meatball and okra recipes and loved them! This one looks just as delicious. Two questions, though: is the rice cooked or uncooked, and how much water do you use to cook the peppers?

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  3. I just realized the water amount is listed. Sorry! Still wondering about the rice, though.

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  4. Trini Gourmet: thanks!

    Jacob: It's really nice to hear that you tried the recipes and liked them. Thanks for letting me know.
    As for your question, no rice is not cooked. Peppers, ground meat and rice will all be cooked together. Hope you like this one, too.

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  5. Burku, Poblanos are a wonderful pepper and I think I'll look for some peppers soon for myself. Also, try looking for Cubanellas, I think you'll like them too!

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  6. Peter, I'm not sure if I've ever tasted cubanellas, but sure I'll look for them starting at tomorrow's farmers market.

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  7. Stuffed peppers were one of my favorite dish when I was in Italy. Now that I am vegetarian I need to find a substitute for the meat. I like the photos: the contrast of colors is very nice. By the way, I have been making roasted zucchini regularly after reading your recipe.

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  8. Simona, actually during summer we usually eat stuffed peppers with olive oil (i.e. vegetarian stuffed peppers). If I find good bell peppers at tomorrow's farmers market, I promise to post a vegetarian recipe.

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  9. looks very delicious!
    It's a pitty I can't make then 'cause I can't eat peppers :(

    thanks for joining WHB!

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  10. Anonymous2:04 PM

    These look wonderful!!

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  11. That looks delicious! I agree with you about bell peppers. Sometimes they can be overpowering. But, I find that the poblanos are perfect for stuffing. They have such a lovely flavor. Your pictures have my mouth watering! :):)

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  12. I tried this recipe tonight on my parents. My dad has a garden and we planted bell peppers for kicks. None of us really like them much. We picked them small and they turned out delicious. I also added some bullion cubes to the water and some tomato paste. I served in a bowl with some garlic toast, lemon wedge and yogurt mixture. Next time I believe I will add some garlic to the meat mixture as well as some cayenne. Thanks for the nice dish!!

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  13. Hi Tod, good to hear that you and your parents like the recipe. In Turkey garlic is usually used with stuffed onions and eggplants, but I'm sure it'll go well with peppers, too.

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  14. Anonymous9:22 AM

    Hi Burcu,

    Stuffed pepers is one my favorites, too. I use cubanelles for this recipe. I found that their flesh is not thick and similar to Turkish stuffing pepers. By the way, all recipes look very delicious...

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