Stuffed Zucchini with Rice, Fresh Herbs and Yogurt (Kabak Dolması)

La storia di questo piatto

Kabak dolması belongs to the great Turkish tradition of stuffed vegetables, where a humble courgette becomes a small vessel for rice, mint, dill and parsley. It is the cooking of Anatolian and Ottoman-inflected kitchens, patient and green, a dish that shows how much perfume can live inside something so quiet.

Ingredienti

• 8 pieces Medium zucchini
• 250 g Long-grain rice
• 1 medium White onion
• 30 g Fresh mint
• 20 g Fresh dill
• 20 g Fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon Tomato sauce
• 120 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 250 ml Water
• 200 ml Hot vegetable broth
• q.b. to taste Salt and black pepper
• 300 g Thick Greek yogurt
• 1 piece Lemon

Preparazione

1. Rinse the zucchini under cold water and pat them dry. Trim only the stem end, without shortening the rest, and keep these ends as caps. Using a corer or a narrow knife, hollow out each zucchini from the top, leaving the bottom closed and a wall about half a centimetre thick, without piercing the skin. Set aside all the extracted flesh for the filling.
2. Finely chop the onion and the zucchini flesh. Heat 50 ml of oil (about 4 tablespoons) in a wide pan over medium heat, add the onion and flesh and cook, stirring often, for 6-8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden and the zucchini's water has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. The secret is not to rush: an onion cooked slowly brings sweetness. Add the tomato sauce and stir for one minute.
3. Pour the rice into the sautéed mixture and stir for 2 minutes, until the grains turn glossy and translucent at the edges and release a nutty aroma. Add the 200 ml of hot broth, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes: the rice should absorb the liquid but remain still firm in the centre, as it will finish cooking inside the zucchini.
4. Turn off the heat and add the finely chopped mint, dill and parsley. Mix, taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Let it rest for 5 minutes to cool the mixture slightly, making it easier to handle.
5. Fill each zucchini with the rice mixture, without pressing too much: the rice needs room to swell during cooking. Close with the reserved zucchini cap. Arrange the zucchini upright, snugly packed, in a wide pan or a shallow baking dish. Pour around them the remaining 70 ml of oil and the 250 ml of water: the liquid should moisten them from the bottom only, without covering them.
6. Cover with a lid or a sheet of aluminium foil and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the zucchini are tender when pierced with a fork, the rice is cooked and the liquid has almost completely reduced. Towards the end you will hear a gentle sizzle: the zucchini begin to caramelise lightly.
7. Serve the zucchini lukewarm, not piping hot, to enhance their flavours. Accompany each portion with a generous spoonful of thick Greek yogurt seasoned with a pinch of salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice. Finish with a sprig of fresh mint.