Small zucchini stuffed with seasoned ground beef, rice and parsley cook slowly in a tomato broth. Serve them with garlic yogurt: cool and creamy alongside the tender zucchini and savory filling.
Kabak dolması is part of a long tradition of stuffed dishes in Turkish cuisine. Dolma refers to vegetables that are stuffed; the exact filling and preparation vary from household to household and from region to region. In this version, small zucchini are filled with a mixture of ground beef, rice, onion and parsley. It makes for a hearty, savory center, while the zucchini softens as it cooks and holds its shape.
Choose zucchini that are roughly the same size and not too thick. Small ones are easier to fill evenly and fit better in a pan. Zucchini are widely available in summer, but you can also make this dish with firm zucchini from another season. Don’t cut them open too far: a small opening is enough to scoop out the flesh with a narrow spoon or zucchini corer. Leave a wall about half a centimeter thick all around so the zucchini won’t split easily.
The rice goes into the filling uncooked and absorbs liquid as it simmers. So fill the zucchini loosely and leave a little room at the top; the grains will expand. A wide pan that lets the zucchini sit snugly together helps keep them upright. Let the liquid simmer gently rather than boil vigorously. This gives the rice time to cook through without the zucchini’s exterior falling apart. The tomato broth flavors the filling and is delicious spooned over the zucchini at the table.
Ground beef is mild and easy to find; a mix of beef and pork works too, for a slightly richer filling. For a more pronounced flavor, you can replace some of it with ground lamb. Short-grain rice works well because it absorbs liquid as it cooks; don’t use parboiled rice, as that will change the timing and texture. Parsley keeps the filling fresh. Garlic yogurt is a simple, cool counterpoint to the warm tomato sauce. Use whole-milk or low-fat yogurt, depending on how creamy you want the sauce.
Serve the stuffed zucchini with some of the tomato sauce and a generous spoonful of garlic yogurt. Bread is handy for mopping up the sauce; a simple salad with cucumber or leafy greens goes well with it too. Cover and refrigerate leftovers within two hours, and eat them within three days. Reheat them gently in a pan with a splash of water, until the filling is piping hot all the way through.
Cut a small cap off the stem end of each zucchini. Hollow out the zucchini with a narrow spoon or zucchini corer, leaving a wall about half a centimeter thick all around. Don’t keep the caps; they aren’t needed for this dish.
Mix the ground beef with the rice, onion, parsley, finely chopped garlic, ½ tsp salt and the black pepper. Loosely fill the zucchini about two-thirds full; the rice will expand as it cooks.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, water and remaining ¼ tsp salt, and stir until smooth.
Stand the stuffed zucchini upright in the pan, openings facing up, and pack them close together. The sauce doesn’t need to cover them completely. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer gently for 40–50 minutes, until the zucchini are tender, the rice is cooked and the filling is cooked through. If possible, check that the center of the ground beef filling is at least 71 °C. Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces too much.
Meanwhile, stir the yogurt and crushed garlic together. Taste and, if desired, season with a small pinch of salt.
Carefully lift the zucchini out of the pan. Serve warm with the tomato sauce and garlic yogurt.
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