The Right Stuff
By Larry Litt
This tale, I was told, is based on a true incident. Some years ago two Turkish sufi dervishes met in an Istanbul eating-house for dinner. Because they were dedicated to poverty they decided to share a single dish for their meal.
"I love green and red peppers sautéed in spices on a bed of rice," revealed the first sufi. "It's a dish sent to man from the All Powerful so he can taste a bit of heaven on earth. Let's have that. It will be a blessing on us."
"No, no, my friend. I know something much better than that," countered the second sufi. "Let's order a great plate of peppers "dolma" stuffed with rice and spices. It too is a dish sent from heaven and it shows the powers of man to work with the gifts provided by the Almighty Creator. We must order stuffed peppers. It will be a greater blessing for us to eat them."
"Listen to me, my friend," replied the first. "I believe with all my soul and heart that sautéeing peppers is what God meant us to do with them. The peppers remain closest to their natural state which is what God created for them. We must have them that way. The All Knowing wills it."
"You speak of a God that gives no credit to the inventiveness of man," challenged the second. "Why would He have given us the ideas and tools to make stuffed peppers if He didn't want us to have them? Indeed, sautéed peppers are natural; they are also basic and primitive. Stuffed peppers are transcendent, therefore more divine."
"You dare to blaspheme God's desire for simplicity? Especially after taking a vow of poverty and minimal living? We will have sautéed peppers. It is God's way."
"We will have stuffed peppers. It is the true path to heaven, and there is no other."
"Then I will have my own order of sautéed peppers and you can have yours anyway you want it."
"But we agreed to share our dinner. I can't afford a whole order by myself."
"Neither can I."
By this time a wizened old waiter arrived at their table. "I heard your argument. In fact, the whole eating-house heard your controversy. I went back to the cook and told him about it. He has decided to make half your order sautéed peppers and the other half stuffed peppers. He asked me to tell you that God has no favorites when it comes to peppers. He loves them all. He does command, though, that His people do not argue when they dine together. Otherwise neither will go to heaven. And they will certainly have very disagreeable digestion."
With that comment the waiter disappeared, in what appeared to be a puff of dense hookah smoke. Presently, another waiter brought their order of half sautéed and half stuffed peppers. "What happened to the other waiter?" asked the first sufi.
What other waiter? I am the only waiter in this eating-house. Isn't it bad enough you disturbed all the other patrons of this place without teasing me, too? Here is your special order. Now please be friends and brothers again. Enjoy your meal."
The two sufis looked at each other in shock. They couldn't speak. Tears ran down their faces. After a few moments, the second sufi finally spoke. "God not only created our food, but is aware of our choices. Let us never argue again." "I agree," replied the first. "Never. But while the waiter is here, what shall we have for dessert?" "Can we afford it?" asked the second. "I think if we share," answered the first. And they laughed the laughter of enlightened souls.
Turkish cuisine boasts hundreds of different vegetarian dishes because of the diversity of Turkey as arable land. The Turkish word "dolma" means stuffed. You can stuff just about anything. Dolma dishes are always served room temperature or cool — never very hot or very cold.
A word of caution from renowned Turkish chef and restaurateur Denizs Orhan Yegan. "Dolma, like pastry, are baked and require experience to know when they are perfectly done. A prepared dish never looks like it does in a magazine or cookbook. There are many variables. Experiment and enjoy."
Historically, vegetarian dolma are a Christian invention, mostly from Armenia, meant for quick Lenten and Nativity meals. The original recipes were absorbed into Turkish cuisine after Armenia and the whole Byzantine Empire were conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
Turkish food has been absorbed into the general category of Mediterranean cuisine, but is quite different in its use of spices and oils. Here are some vegetarian dolma recipes that the sufi, and many others, love.
Tomato Dolma
(Serves 12)
1/2 cup rice
1 Tablespoon sea salt, divided
12 large firm tomatoes
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 coarsely grated onions
1 Tablespoon pine nuts
1 cup vegetarian chicken broth
2 Tablespoons black currants
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon rice syrup
2 Tablespoons chopped dill
2 Tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Juice of one lemon
Soak the rice in hot water with 1/2 tablespoon salt until cool. Drain and set aside. Cut a round cap off the tomatoes opposite the stem side and reserve. Scoop out the seeds, pulp, and veins with a teaspoon, strain, dice and set aside in a bowl.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the onions with 1/2 tablespoon salt over medium heat until they are transparent. Add the rice and pine nuts; sauté over medium heat 10 minutes more or until the pine nuts turn pale golden brown.
Add the diced tomato pulp, vegetarian broth, currants, pepper, and rice syrup. Stir well, cover, and cook on low heat until all the stock is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat, add chopped dill and mint, stir well, and set aside to cool. Arrange the tomatoes on a rack in a heavy saucepan so they don't fall on each other, and fill with the rice stuffing. Don't overstuff. Put the tomato lids back on top. Add 1/2-1 cup of water, cover, and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool and serve at room temperature, garnished with parsley and sprinkled with lemon juice.
| Total calories per serving: 105 | Fat: 2 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 21 grams | Protein: 3 grams |
| Sodium: 630 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Green Peppers Dolma
(Serves 5)
1 cup bulghur
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons dried currants
1 Tablespoon pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon rice syrup
2 pounds green or red bell peppers (suitable for stuffing)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Allow the bulghur to stand in 1 cup hot water until the water cools. Then drain the bulghur and rinse. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan, add the chopped onions and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté until the color of the onions changes. Add the bulghur and sauté for 10 more minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, currants, pine nuts, mint, dill, black pepper, and rice syrup. Cook for 15 minutes, adding tablespoons of water as needed. Remove from heat.
Cut the tops off the peppers, remove all veins and seeds. Stuff the peppers 2/3 full, replace the lids and line in a pan, the tops facing up. Salt to taste and bake for about 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from heat and serve at room temperature.
| Total calories per serving: 220 | Fat: 4 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 44 grams | Protein: 7 grams |
| Sodium: 474 milligrams | Fiber: 11 grams |
Zucchini Dolma
(Serves 5)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 cup flake TVP (textured vegetable protein)
2 Tablespoons rinsed rice
2 large onions, grated
1/4 cup chopped parsley
5 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped dill
1-2 Tablespoons rice syrup
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-3 cups vegetarian stock
1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 medium-large zucchinis cut in half the long way, seeds removed
Mix the soy sauce and ketchup. Add to TVP in a bowl, mix well, and let stand at least 20 minutes. Add rice to onions, parsley, garlic, dill, rice syrup, salt, and pepper. Mix in the TVP when ready, and combine all the ingredients well. Heat the stock in a small saucepan and add tomato paste. Place the zucchini halves in a large heavy saucepan. Fill each half with the stuffing. Drizzle the stock and tomato paste mixture over all and pour the rest into the pan. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until zucchinis are tender. Serve with plain soy yogurt.
| Total calories per serving: 153 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 29 grams | Protein: 14 grams |
| Sodium: 1145 milligrams | Fiber: 6 grams |
Artichokes Dolma
(Serves 5)
5 medium artichokes
1 Tablespoon flour
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups of water
For the filling:
1 cup white rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped pistachio nuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon rice syrup
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped mint
1 large tomato
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut off the stalks and the outer leaves of the artichokes; remove the hairy fiber in the middle. Put flour, lemon juice, and salt into a pan and bring to a boil. Place the artichokes in pan, add 4 cups boiling water, and blanch for 5 minutes. Remove from water and line up on a tray. Pour the boiling water into a bowl and set aside.
Let the rice stand in warm water for half an hour. Wash well and drain. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, put the onions and pistachio nuts in, and stir frequently until the onions are sautéed and pistachio nuts turn golden. Add the rice, salt, allspice, rice syrup, and black pepper and sauté for 5 minutes while stirring. Add water and cook until the rice absorbs the water. Remove the pan from heat; add parsley, dill, and mint, and mix them all together.
Stuff the artichokes with the prepared filling and pour the artichoke water over. Slice the tomato in circles. Place tomato slices in between the artichokes. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. After cooling, put in the refrigerator for a few hours. Remove to serve at room temperature.
| Total calories per serving: 268 | Fat: 4 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 53 grams | Protein: 8 grams |
| Sodium: 1038 milligrams | Fiber: 6 grams |
High in Iron
Eggplant Dolma
(Serves 6-8)
1 cup white rice
3-4 medium white onions, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup vegetarian stock
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons dried currants
1 Tablespoon ground allspice
1 Tablespoon rice syrup
3 medium eggplants, 6 inches long
1 cup vegetarian stock
Place the rice in hot water and allow to stand until the water cools down. Rinse the rice several times and drain. Sauté the onions over moderate heat in the olive oil and salt in a large pan until the color of the onions changes. Add the rice and pine nuts and continue to sauté while constantly stirring for about 10 minutes. Add vegetarian stock, chopped tomatoes, currants, allspice, and rice syrup. Stir one or two times and close the lid of the pan; cook for 15 minutes.
Cut off tops of the eggplants to form a lid and scoop out all seeds and pulp until there is about 1/2 inch of wall left. Place in salted water for 20 minutes, rinse, and drain.
Stuff the eggplants two-thirds full, replace the lids, and line up in a large saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil, then gently simmer with a closed lid for 40 to 50 minutes. Arrange in a baking dish and bake for 5-10 minutes at 350-375 degrees. Remove from oven, let cool, and serve at room temperature.
| Total calories per serving: 247 | Fat: 4 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 50 grams | Protein: 6 grams |
| Sodium: 553 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
GrapeVine Leaves Dolma
(Makes about 40 dolmas, 8-10 servings)
One 16-ounce jar grape vine leaves, pickled in brine
6 cups water
2 large onions, coarsely grated
1 cup rinsed white rice
3 Tablespoons currants
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, save stems
1/4 cup chopped parsley, save stems
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon rice syrup
1 Tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups vegetarian chicken broth
2 lemons cut into wedges
Boil 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Place carefully unrolled vine leaves in boiling water for two minutes to remove their salt and preservatives. Gently remove leaves with a perforated kitchen spoon. Transfer the leaves to a bowl of cold water, rinse them, and drain in a colander.
Mix well in a bowl the grated onions, rice, currants, nuts, mint, dill, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, rice syrup, allspice, and salt.
Place the parsley and dill stems in the bottom of a heavy saucepan.
Place 1/2 tablespoon of the filling on each grape leaf, fold over sides, then roll and line up in the saucepan over the stems. Make layers until all the leaves are stuffed.
After all the leaves have been stuffed, cover the entire surface of rolls with a layer of leaves and pour the broth over them. Cook, covered, on moderate heat for about an hour or until the rice becomes tender. After they have cooled down, place the leaves on a serving plate. Decorate the plate with lemon wedges and serve at room temperature.
| Total calories per serving: 168 | Fat: 3 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 31 grams | Protein: 13 grams |
| Sodium: 611 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
Larry Litt is a freelance writer from New York, NY.
