Name: Midye Dolma (Stuffed Mussels)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 30 fresh mussels, scrubbed and bearded; 150 g short-grain rice, rinsed; 1 onion, finely chopped; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tomatoes, grated; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 1 tsp dried mint; A handful of parsley and dill, chopped; Juice of 1 lemon; Salt, black pepper and a pinch of cinnamon; 1 glass of water for steaming

Instructions

Keeps your screen awake while you cook.

ℹ️ More info

Cooking with your phone on the counter and the screen keeps locking? Turn on Cook Mode and your screen stays awake while this page is open — read the next step without unlocking anything, even with messy hands. It switches off by itself when you leave the page.

1Open the mussels over heat just until the shells part, keeping the deeper half-shell as a boat; loosen the meat and leave it inside.

2Prepare a filling: soften the onion in olive oil, add the rice, grated tomato, paprika, cinnamon, herbs, salt and pepper, plus 200 ml water. Cook until the rice is half-tender.

3Spoon a little filling into each half-shell, pressing gently, and pair with the top shell to hold it together.

4Arrange tightly in a wide pot, sprinkle with lemon juice and pour the water around them.

5Cover and steam on low for 20-25 minutes until the rice is fully cooked. Serve warm or cold with lemon.

Chef's Tip

Open the mussels over gentle heat just until the shells part — boiling toughens the meat.

More tips ↓

Par-cook the rice only halfway; it finishes steaming inside the shells, absorbing the mussel liquor.
Pack the filled mussels tightly in the pot so they hold each other closed while steaming.

Midye Dolma (Stuffed Mussels)

Ingredients

Instructions

You may also like

Kısır (Turkish Bulgur Salad)

Kabak Mücver (Zucchini Pancakes)

Çılbır (Turkish Eggs with Yogurt)

İç Pilav (Turkish Festive Rice)

Get one Mediterranean recipe in your inbox every week