Olive Oil-Braised Turnip Dolma | Meatless Rice-Stuffed Winter Dish

Peel the turnips thinly and trim the stem end of each by about one centimeter, setting the cut caps aside. Press a dolma corer into the center and twist to hollow them out, leaving a 0.5 cm wall; the turnips lose some of their volume as they cook. Finely chop and set aside the turnip flesh you remove.

Heat half the olive oil in a pot and cook the finely chopped onion until translucent, without browning it. Add the pine nuts and cook until lightly golden. Stir in the rinsed and drained rice until the grains are glossy with oil. Add the currants, cinnamon, allspice, dried mint, sugar, and salt, then remove from the heat.

Fill the turnips with the rice mixture, leaving one-third empty; the rice swells as it absorbs water, and an overfilled turnip will push off its cap. Replace the caps. Spread the chopped turnip flesh over the bottom of the pot and arrange the stuffed turnips close together on top.

Mix the remaining olive oil with the water and lemon juice and pour it over the turnips; the liquid should cover them by about a finger-width. Place an inverted plate on top, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 45 minutes. They are done when the tip of a knife meets no resistance in the turnip flesh and a sheen of oil appears on the surface of the liquid.

Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered; the dolma settles in its own steam, and the aromas of cinnamon and allspice infuse the rice. Once it reaches room temperature, transfer it to a serving plate. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2 days and serve cold.