Badimcan Dolma – Azerbaijani Cuisine

I well remember the first time I ever tried the traditional Azerbaijani Badimcan Dolma. I was pregnant with my second kid, and we were invited for dinner at a friend’s house. I wasn’t sure whether I would like it at first but ended up eating more than anybody else. It was so delicious!

I’ve cooked Badimcan Dolma multiple times since then, and I love making it for family and special friends coming over. Takes more time than the usual recipes I use in my kitchen, but it’s so worth it. And it reminds me of Baku and all my friends there and the wonderful time we had together.

All that is to say that this is a very special dish for me, and that’s why I chose it to be the very first one in the culinary category of this blog.

For a thorough step-by-step explanation – keep reading. For a quick recipe – scroll down.

First, let’s wash the vegetables and place a large pot of water to boil on the stove. You will need small eggplants, green peppers, and tomatoes for this recipe.

Cut the stems of the aubergines and make a deep cut along the length of the vegetable (be careful not to slice it till the very bottom). This will be the pocket in which you will put the stuffing later. Add some salt inside and leave them for about 30 minutes in order for the bitterness to come out. After half an hour has passed, wash the aubergines well and blanch them in boiling water. (Takes about 3-5 minutes. After you take them out of the pot, place them in cold (ice cold) water in order to stop the cooking process.)

Next follow the green peppers. Shorten their stems a bit (if they are too long) so that they can later fit without problem in the pan. Cut the top (it will be used as a lid later) and clean the inside well so that there are no seeds left. Blanch them in the boiling water as you did with the aubergines.

And finally – the tomatoes. Cut the upper part and save it for lids. Scoop the inside of the tomato and set it aside (you’ll use it for the filling).

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and turmeric.

After the blanched vegetables have cooled down, sprinkle them also on the inside with some salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Now it’s time to prepare the filling. Cut the onion very finely (use food processor if you have one – this will help the mixture to become juicier.) Mix the minced meat with the finely chopped onion and the inside part which you scooped earlier from the tomatoes (by the way, you can also add that in the food processor with the onions). Brown it all in a pan, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill the vegetables with the filling and arrange them in a pot or flat pan with a lid.

Pour 1/2 cup of water into the pan, put the lid on and cook on low for about 40-45 minutes.

Enjoy your meal! 😛