Dolmeh Felfel - Stuffed Bell Peppers

دلمه فلفل  Dolmeh-ye Felfel (Stuffed peppers) is a flavorful Persian food made with ground meat, rice, aromatic herbs, and yellow split peas, all stuffed into bell peppers. Stuffed peppers are easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as a main course or served as a colorful side dish. Sweet peppers come in a variety of beautiful colors and make a vibrant addition to your party dishes.

Dolmeh Felfel - Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients
Serves 8-10

-10 medium-sized bell peppers, rinsed
-1 lb. ground meat (beef, lamb, or turkey)
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 cup rice, rinsed
-1/2 cup yellow split peas, rinsed
-1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
-1 bunch fresh chives or scallions, chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
-2 tablespoons dried tarragon
-2 tablespoons dried basil
-1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- A dash of cinnamon
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Sugar *optional
-Olive oil

Method

1. Cut the tops off each bell pepper and set aside. Clean the inside of the peppers and remove the seeds. Lightly salt the inside of each pepper.
2. In a frying pan, sauté onions in 2 tablespoons of oil until soft and translucent. Add turmeric, ground meat, salt, and pepper to taste, and brown the meat. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and yellow split peas with 3 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, until water is fully absorbed..
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, rice and peas, chopped fresh vegetables, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
5. Spoon the rice and meat mixture into the bell peppers. 
6. Arrange the stuffed peppers in a large pot, and place the tops back on each pepper.
7. In a small bowl, combine 1- 1/2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the peppers. Cover and cook for about 1 hour, until the peppers are fully cooked.  
8. You can also bake the dish in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. For a sweeter version of dolmeh, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of sugar over the peppers before placing them in the oven.

Serve warm with pickles and mast o khiar.

Enjoy!