Zubereitung

1. 1

   Remove any strings from the eggplants, peppers and squash shells, place them in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak until soft and pliable; the squash shells need a little longer than the others.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, stir the sumac for the cooking liquid into the hot water and leave it to steep so that the water turns red and sour.

3. 3

   Wash the rice until the water stays almost clear and drain well. Peel the onion and dice it very finely. Knead the rice, onion, minced lamb, tomato paste, red pepper paste, Isot, pomegranate molasses, mint, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp oil together thoroughly by hand.

4. 4

   Drain the soaked vegetables well. Carefully open each shell with your fingers and fill it loosely only three-quarters full, as the rice swells during cooking; press the top edge lightly inwards.

5. 5

   Brush the bottom of a wide, heavy pot with the remaining oil. Stand the stuffed shells upright, opening facing up, so close together that they support each other, with the squash shells in the middle.

6. 6

   Strain the sumac water through a fine sieve and stir in the tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and salt for the cooking liquid. Pour it in at the edge until the vegetables are three-quarters submerged, and place an upturned plate on top.

7. 7

   Bring to the boil once, put the lid on and simmer everything gently over a low heat until the rice is soft and the vegetables are tender.

8. 8

   Lift the lid away from you, as hot steam escapes, and cut an eggplant open: the rice should be soft, the minced meat cooked through with no trace of pink and the filling 70 °C in the centre. If not, add a splash of hot water and cook for a few more minutes.

9. 9

   Turn off the heat and leave the dish to rest, covered, then lift the stuffed vegetables onto a platter with a spoon and drizzle with the cooking liquid.

10. 10

    Tip: Dried vegetables vary in thickness; anything still hard after soaking stays in the hot water a few minutes longer. Yogurt goes well with it, for example from the recipe Mast — homemade yogurt, and minced beef works instead of minced lamb. Cool leftovers quickly, put them in the fridge within two hours at the latest and use them up within a day; to reheat, heat covered until the filling reaches 70 °C again.