Dolma is a very interesting and unusual dish, which consists of grape leaves filled with various fillings. Dolma is typical for the cuisines of the peoples of Transcaucasia, Asia and the Balkan Peninsula.
A few tricks for making dolma
- Minced meat for dolma is most often cooked on the basis of rice, in addition, it can include boiled meat, for example, lamb or beef, nuts, spicy green herbs, onions, and lemon juice.
- For the preparation of the dish, both canned and fresh grape leaves are used, which can be pre-pickled.
- Canned grape leaves are usually washed well before stuffing to make them less salty, and only then filled with prepared filling.
- To pickle fresh grape leaves at home, they are thoroughly washed, rolled up, placed in a dish and poured with brine. Cover the top tightly enough and let stand for several days.
- Another option is to use fresh grape leaves without marinating first. To make them softer, you need to boil water in a saucepan, add salt and place the washed leaves there. Boil them for three minutes. Another way to soften the leaves is to pour boiling water over them and leave for 20 minutes.
- During the preparation of dolma, hard veins on the leaves sometimes interfere - these places can either be carefully cut off or beaten off with a spoon so that the leaf surface becomes flatter.
- Dolma should be served hot along with regular sour cream, sour cream sauce or ayran.
How to pickle grape leaves
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of grape leaves
- 2 liters of boiled water
- 3 tbsp. tablespoons of salt
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar
- 1-2 bay leaves
How to do it:
Rinse fresh grape leaves very well, roll up and place in a deep dish or saucepan. Prepare the marinade by combining drinking water, salt, vinegar and pour over the leaves. Add a couple of lavrushka leaves. Cover the dish with a lid and leave for 3 days at room temperature.
Dolma with lamb
Ingredients:
- 300 g fresh or pickled grape leaves
- 300 g lamb
- 200 g lamb bones
- 1 glass of rice
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons freshly chopped mint, cilantro and basil
- salt pepper
- 6 tbsp. spoons of sour cream 20% fat
- 2 cloves of garlic
- fresh cilantro
- salt
Cooking step by step:
1. Rinse fresh or canned grape leaves thoroughly in cold water. If using fresh, boil them for three minutes to soften them. Dry and place on a work surface with the shiny side of the sheet at the bottom. Use a large spoon to tap strongly protruding veins. Set some of the leaves aside.
2. Boil the rice until not fully cooked, put it in a colander, let the cereal cool and dry. Wash the meat under running water and pass it through a meat grinder or food processor. Peel the onion and chop into small cubes. Combine minced meat, chopped greens, onions and round grain rice. Season to taste.
3. Stir all the ingredients of the filling, divide into portions. Form an oval cutlet from each portion. Place over meat cutlet on grape leaves. Cover the filling with the bottom edge of the grape leaf. Now tuck the sides of the sheet as well - as a result, you should get a rather tightly twisted tube, similar to a stuffed cabbage roll.
4. Take a deep saucepan and place the chopped bones there. Place regular grape leaves (no filling) on top. Lay the twisted grape leaves with the filling in a dense layer on the leaves. Add a little water, press down with a lid or heat-resistant glass plate. Place a weight on top of the plate.
five. Place a pot of dolma on the stove, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for about 50 minutes. Serve with sour cream sauce. For the sauce, peel the cloves of garlic, cut in half and remove the green center. Throw it away, and finely chop the pulp or pass through a garlic press. Stir sour cream, garlic and herbs, beat until smooth, season with salt.
Dolma with rice
Ingredients:
- 200 g grape leaves
- 1 cup round grain rice
- 2-3 st. tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 onions
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1 lemon
- a pinch of ground dried mint
- salt pepper
Cooking in stages:
1. Rinse the rice thoroughly to clean water, let it dry properly. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Peel and chop the onion, put in the pan. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add rice, dried mint, spices and freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 tablespoon). To do this, rinse the lemon thoroughly, make a thin puncture in it with a toothpick and squeeze the juice into a spoon. Stir the rice mixture.
2. Add a little water so that it slightly covers the rice. Simmer over low heat until the liquid has completely boiled away. Remove the skillet from the stove and let the rice cool. Beat the chicken egg and mix with the cereal.
3. Rinse the leaves, dry, beat off dense veins. Set a few leaves aside. Place a couple of teaspoons of the rice and egg filling on the rest of the leaves and roll them into tight oblong envelopes.
4. Cut about half of the lemon into round slices. Place the unfilled grape leaves in a saucepan, and on top place the rolled leaves with the filling. Put mugs of lemon on the dolma, pour in filtered water so that the dolma is covered with it. Place oppression on top. Cook over low heat for 40-50 minutes.
Dolma with beef in a double boiler
Ingredients:
- grape leaves
- 500 g beef fillet
- 100 g of round grain rice
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp. tablespoons of butter
- fresh spicy herbs
- salt pepper
Cooking step by step:
1. Rice groats thoroughly rinse to clean water and boil until half cooked - you can do this in a double boiler. Put in a sieve or colander, cool. Rinse the meat and pass it through a meat grinder or food processor, add chopped onions, rice, herbs. Season to taste.
2. Rinse the grape leaves thoroughly, remove the tough stems, beat off the veins. Spread the filling over the grape leaves, roll them into tight rolls. Place in a double boiler, add salt and drizzle with melted butter. Cook for 40 minutes.
Dolma with rice and nuts in a slow cooker
Ingredients:
- 60 grape leaves (pickled)
- 200 g of round grain rice
- 3 walnuts
- 20 g fresh mint
- 20 g fresh parsley
- 10 g fresh dill
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
Cooking step by step:
1. Boil rice until cooked. By the way, you can do this right in the multicooker. Pour the washed cereal into the multicooker bowl, pour 500 ml of water and set the "Cooking" mode. After boiling the liquid, cook for 5 minutes. Then turn off the multicooker, and throw the cereals in a colander and let the water drain.
2. Cut the walnuts. Place in a mortar along with salt and peppercorns. Grind with a special spice pestle. Peel the onions and chop with a knife. Dry the washed herbs (for example, with paper towels) and chop.
3. Stir rice, herbs, onions, nuts, spices and 1 tbsp for the filling. a spoonful of olive oil. Place the rice and nut mixture over the grape leaves, tuck the edges and roll tightly. Put all the leaves rolls tightly in the multicooker bowl, fill in with clean water (boiling water), cover with unstuffed grape leaves that remain, and cook in the "Stew" mode for an hour.
Dolma with meat and rice in a slow cooker
Ingredients:
- 350 g grape leaves (pickled)
- 500 g minced meat (lamb and beef)
- 1/2 cup round grain rice
- 1 onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint, minced
- a pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1 liter beef broth or water
- salt pepper
Cooking in stages:
1. Rinse the leaves and let them dry. Boil the rice until half cooked on the stove in a saucepan for 8 minutes or in a multicooker bowl for 5 minutes. Let the liquid drain and cool.
2. For the filling, stir in minced meat, rice grits, peeled and finely diced onions, dried mint, nutmeg, and spices to taste. Remove the stem from the grape leaves. Set aside some of the leaves, and put the rest on the table, place a spoonful of the filling on top and, turning the edges, roll up into long and dense rolls.
3. Put all the stuffed grape leaves in a multicooker in dense rows, pour in the broth or boiling water, then cover with the remaining unstuffed grape leaves on top. Set the "Stew" program at the multicooker for 1 hour.
