Turkish Stuffed Zucchini Flower Recipe: Easy & Homemade

Turkish stuffed zucchini flowers (kabak çiçeği dolması) are squash blossoms packed with a herbed rice filling, folded closed, and simmered in olive oil. You cook the rice mix with onion, tomato, dried mint and dill first, spoon it into the petals, then arrange them in a pot and let them simmer for 30 minutes.

It is one of the indispensable flavors of Turkish, Greek, and Cypriot cuisines. Although it varies by region, it is usually made from squash flowers picked in the Aegean and the Mediterranean in the early hours of the morning. It belongs to the wider family of olive oil dishes in Turkish cuisine, the same cold, oil-poached style as stuffed grape leaves. For more dishes like it, see our Turkish recipes hub.

Stuffed Zucchini Flower Recipe:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 20-25 zucchini flowers
• 2 onions
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tomato
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 1/2 cup hot water
• Dill (about a third of a bunch)
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Method

1. Dice the onions, grate the tomatoes and finely chop the dill.
2. Remove the green stems of the zucchini flowers, taking care not to damage the flower petals.
3. Remove the yellow stigma inside the flower. Again, without damaging the leaves.
4. Wash the rice thoroughly under water until the water runs clear.
5. Heat half the olive oil in a large pan and fry your onions for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the washed rice to the onion and continue to cook until the rice is soft.
7. To the rice mixture, add the grated tomato, pepper, salt, dried mint and water. Simmer until the water has evaporated.
8. Take it off the heat and rest for 5 minutes.
9. Add your chopped dill to the rice mixture.
10. Carefully, fill your zucchini flowers with the rice mixture. Be careful not to overfill them as the rice will expand during cooking. Carefully fold the flowers from top to bottom.
11. Place your stuffed flowers side-by-side in a large pot with the folded edge at the bottom.
12. Pour the remaining olive oil over the flowers. Add water to the pot so that it reaches about half of the height of the flowers.
13. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
14. Once the rice is cooked, your stuffed zucchini flowers are ready. They can be served warm or cold.

This is the kind of cold olive oil dish you will find on meze tables across the city. If you would rather taste your way through them in person, our Taste of Two Continents food tour runs the Spice Market breakfast, a ferry across the Bosphorus, and the markets of Kadıköy in groups of no more than 10. We have run food tours since 2013, with more than 50,000 guests and a 4.95/5 rating from over 7,800 reviews.