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Dolmeh-ye beh
Stuffed quinces in sweet-sour syrup
Dolmeh-ye beh (دلمه به): Azerbaijani stuffed quinces in sweet-sour syrup
Dolmeh-ye beh is autumn food in Tabriz and across Iranian Azerbaijan, made in October and November when golden quinces pile up on market stalls. The quinces are hollowed and filled with lamb or beef mince, rice, yellow split peas and cinnamon, then baked in a syrup of sugar, vinegar and saffron until the fruit is soft enough to cut with a spoon and its flesh turns pink. Each person gets a whole quince with bread and yogurt on the side. A common mistake is cooking the shells for too long before stuffing; they should only soften slightly or they collapse in the oven. Chef's tip: rub the cut quinces with lemon at once, as they brown within minutes.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the quinces
- 4 medium quinceswashed and fuzz rubbed off
- 1 lemonhalved
For the filling
- 1 ¾ oz yellow split peas
- 2 ⅛ oz basmati rice
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 10 ½ oz lamb or beef mince
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the syrup
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp ground saffronsteeped in 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 ¼ cups water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cut a 2 cm lid from the stem end of each 4 medium quinces. With a melon baller or sturdy teaspoon, scoop out the core and some flesh, leaving walls about 1 cm thick. Rub inside and out with 1 lemon. Chop the scooped flesh, discarding the core and pips.
20 minStep 2: Simmer the shells and lids in water for 8–10 minutes, just until a knife meets slight resistance. Lift out upside down to drain.
10 minStep 3: Boil 1 ¾ oz yellow split peas for 10 minutes, add 2 ⅛ oz basmati rice and boil 6 minutes more until both are half-cooked. Drain.
16 minStep 4: Fry 1 onion in 2 tbsp sunflower oil for 8 minutes until golden. Add 10 ½ oz lamb or beef mince, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and fry for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Stir in the rice, split peas and chopped quince flesh.
16 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Pack the filling loosely into the quinces (the rice will swell) and put the lids on. Stand them upright in a snug baking dish.
5 minStep 6: Stir 2 ⅛ oz sugar, 4 tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, ¼ tsp ground saffron and 1 ¼ cups water together and pour around the quinces. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes, then uncover and bake 10–15 minutes more, basting with the syrup, until the quinces are soft and blushing pink and the filling is piping hot (160°F).
65 minStep 7: Rest for 5 minutes and serve each quince with a spoon of the syrup, plain yogurt and flatbread.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dolmeh-ye beh take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 80 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 gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lemon?
- Lime, or 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice per lemon (no zest from bottled juice).
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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