Dolma

⏳ Time

1 hour

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Dolma is an Eastern version of stuffed cabbage, but instead of cabbage leaves, the filling is wrapped in grape leaves. It is also one of the most festive dishes of Armenia. There are many secrets that make this dish particularly delicious, but one of the most important is that the grape leaves must be young and fresh; otherwise, no matter how long you cook them, they will still be tough. Dolma is served with a sauce made from matzoni, a traditional Armenian fermented milk drink. Preparing this sauce is very simple: just mix 250 ml of matzoni with a clove of crushed garlic.

Ingredients

Ground coriander - 3.5 oz
Veal Tenderloin - 2 lbs
Basmati rice - 3.5 oz
Tomatoes - 3.5 oz
Sweet Pepper - 5.3 oz
Canned Grape Leaves - 17.6 oz
Onion - 10.6 oz
Butter - 5.3 oz
Fresh basil leaves - 2 spoons
Salt - to taste
Paprika - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Prepare the vegetables, meat, and herbs: cut the onion into quarters, peel the tomatoes by blanching them in boiling water, remove the seeds from the bell pepper, and trim any membranes from the meat. Pour boiling water over the grape leaves and let them sit for ten minutes.

Step 2

Pass the meat, vegetables, herbs, and butter through a meat grinder. Mix the minced mixture thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, generously add dried basil, and sprinkle in a pinch of paprika. Add the uncooked rice and mix again.

Step 3

Carefully separate the leaves without damaging them, cutting off the tough stems. Lay the leaves out with the glossy side down and the veins facing up. Select leaves of the same size—set aside the larger ones, as they will be used later. Place a small ball of filling, about the size of a walnut, on each leaf. Roll them up tightly, but not too tightly, to prevent the cooked rice from tearing the leaves.

Step 4

Place the reserved leaves at the bottom of the pot. Arrange the dolma in tight rows, but do not pack them down. Pour in water until it almost covers the top row (you can use broth instead of water). Press down on the dolma with a plate to ensure the rice cooks evenly. Put it on the heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about forty minutes.