Pepe r Dolma (Amish)

As I have written many times earlier, dolmas are my favourite. The art of cooking the filled vegetable to perfection gives me a sense of achievement as a chef. So much so that I give away the minimum leisure time I get during the weekends in making dolmas carefully choosing a filling for the dolma and the vegetable or the cover of the dolma.

While I am yet to put up the most popular Bengali dolma on the blog, the potoler dolma. I will do it anyday when potol will be available in Israel or I will go to India. So this time it is pepe Dolma.

Step by step instructions to make peper dolma

For the filling

Take the fish in a baking dish. Sprinkle salt, lemon juice and oil on the fish, rub them and keep the fish pieces aside. Preheat the oven at 180°C. Bake the fish pieces for 10-15 minutes or till the fish is completely done. The idea behind baking the fish is cooking the fish. You can also lightly pan fry the fish. But do not preferably boil the fish. Baking or frying the fish gives a better taste.

Once the fish is completely baked, let the fish cool completely. Mash the fish, remove all the bones and keep the fish aside.

In a kadai, add a tablespoon of oil and heat it. Add the finely chopped onion to the kadai and saute them for a minute on medium flame. Now, add the ginger garlic paste to the kadai saute for half a minute and then add the chopped tomatoes.

Add 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder to kadai along with salt to the kadai. Sprinkle two tablespoons of water to the kadai and saute everything together till you see oil leaving the sides of the kadai.

Sprinkle two tablespoons of water to the kadai and saute everything together till you see oil leaving the sides of the kadai.

Lower the flame and add the fish to the kadai. Mix everything together. Turn off the flame and keep the filling aside.

Preparing the dolma

Peel the papaya.

Cut the head of the papaya and carefully with a spoon remove the seeds from the papaya.

In a pot, take water and steam the papaya along with the head in the water till it is is just cooked. Care should be taken not to overcook the papaya.

Now, fill in the cavity of the papaya with the fish mixture that you had prepared.

Fit the head of the papaya in its place. Now. with a stick or thread seal the head of the papaya. Keep the papaya aside.

In a kadai take two tablespoons of oil and heat it. Temper the hot oil with cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Add the onion ginger garlic paste, green chilies to the kadai and saute them for about a minute.

Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt to the kadai and continue sauteing together till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.

Beat the yogurt in a bowl and add the yogurt to kadai beating continuously. Saute everything together till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.

Add the garam masala and ghee to the kadai and mix everything with the remaining spice mixture in the kadai. Add about a cup of warm water to tha kadai.

Carefully transfer the stuffed papaya to the kadai.

Cook the papaya in the sauce and let the papaya absorb the spices on low medium flame covered.

Flip and turn the papaya at regular intervals for about 10 minutes. Turn off the flame. Slice the papaya and serve peper dolma with steamed rice.

Pepe Dolma (Amish)

Course Main Course
Cuisine Bengali
Keyword amishdolma, dolma, peperdolma
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 3

Ingredients

  • 1 small papaya of about 700gms
  • 200 g of bhetki fillets
  • 2 tablespoons of onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato chopped
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
  • 3-4 green chilies
  • 3 tablespoons of cooking oil/mustard oil
  • 1+1 teaspoon of red chili powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1+1 teaspoon of cumin powder
  • 1+1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 2 teaspoons of Bengali garam masala powder
  • cup of onion, ginger and garlic paste
  • ¼ cup of yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon of ghee

Instructions

Preparing the filling

  • Take the fish in a baking dish. Sprinkle salt, lemon juice and oil on the fish, rub them and keep the fish pieces aside.
  • Preheat the oven at 180°C. Bake the fish pieces for 10-15 minutes or till the fish is completely done. The idea behind baking the fish is cooking the fish. You can also lightly pan fry the fish. But do not preferably boil the fish. Baking or frying the fish gives a better taste.
  • Once the fish is completely baked, let the fish cool completely. Mash the fish, remove all the bones and keep the fish aside
  • In a kadai, add a tablespoon of oil and heat it.
  • Add the finely chopped onion to the kadai and saute them for a minute on medium flame.
  • Now, add the ginger garlic paste to the kadai saute for half a minute and then add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder to kadai along with salt to the kadai.
  • Sprinkle two tablespoons of water to the kadai and saute everything together till you see oil leaving the sides of the kadai.
  • Lower the flame and add the fish to the kadai. Mix everything together. Turn off the flame and keep the filling aside.

Preparing the dolma

  • Peel the papaya. Cut the head of the papaya and carefully with a spoon remove the seeds from the papaya.
  • In a pot, take water and steam the papaya along with the head in the water till it is is just cooked. Care should be taken not to overcook the papaya.
  • Now, fill in the cavity of the papaya with the fish mixture that you had prepared.
  • Fit the head of the papaya in its place. Now. with a stick or thread seal the head of the papaya. Keep the papaya aside.
  • In a kadai take two tablespoons of oil and heat it.
  • Temper the hot oil with cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Add the onion ginger garlic paste, green chilies to the kadai and saute them for about a minute.
  • Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt to the kadai and continue sauteing together till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
  • Beat the yogurt in a bowl and add the yogurt to kadai beating continuously. Saute everything together till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.
  • Add the garam masala and ghee to the kadai and mix everything with the remaining spice mixture in the kadai.
  • Add about a cup of warm water to tha kadai. Carefully transfer the stuffed papaya to the kadai.
  • Cook the papaya in the sauce and let the papaya absorb the spices on low medium flame covered.
  • Flip and turn the papaya at regular intervals for about 10 minutes. Turn off the flame. Slice the papaya and serve peper dolma with steamed rice.

Thank you for stopping by. If you like the recipe do not forget to hit like. If you prepare this dish and publish your photos on Facebook and Instagram do tag #theepicureanfeast. Also for queries, you can mail me epicureanfeast2019@gmail.com



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