Traditional Armenian cuisine is famous for its unusual recipes for various dishes. One of the most popular and beloved is dolma in grape leaves.
Dolma (tolma) is the most popular national dish in Armenia, which is prepared on the basis of grape leaves and vegetables. It is served with crushed garlic and a fermented milk drink generously flavored with aromatic herbs. Every year in Armenia, a traditional “Uduli” is held, where a large number of delicious, aromatic and very appetizing mini cabbage rolls are prepared.
Classic tolma
The following ingredients are required to prepare a classic classic dish:
- 800 grams of grape leaves;
- 1000 grams of ground beef;
- 100 grams of rice;
- a pinch of a mixture of two peppers;
- 1 onion;
- 100 grams of butter;
- 1 teaspoon dried basil;
- 1 bunch of parsley and cilantro.
- Rinse the herbs, load into the blender bowl along with the peeled onions, chop.
- Put the green mass in the minced meat, add rice, basil, spices. To stir thoroughly.
- Add a little water, knead the minced meat thoroughly until smooth. Set aside to rest.
- Wash the leaves, remove all tough tails. Pour boiling water over for a couple of minutes. Periodically press down slightly with a wooden spatula.
- Put a grape leaf on a cutting board, veins up, add a spoonful of minced meat and wrap it in a mini-tube, turning the edges towards the center.
- Place a few fresh washed sheets at the bottom of the saucepan.
- Put the prepared tubes and a few pieces of butter on the next layer.
- Fill the container with layers of dolma, cover with the remaining leaves and press down with a plate. Pour salted water over the dish.
- Cook over medium heat for two hours.
- Serve the finished dish with garlic and fermented milk product. Bon Appetit!
Passut in grape leaves
An interesting variant of lean dolma that vegans and people who are on a diet will love.
To prepare a dish according to this recipe, the following products are required:
- grape and cabbage leaves - 30 pieces each;
- tomatoes - 6 pieces;
- lentils, beans - 1 cup each;
- wheat groats - ½ cup;
- onions - 3 pieces;
- dried apricots, walnuts - 250 grams each;
- peeled garlic - a handful;
- Armenian seasoning - 1 tbsp. the spoon;
- lemon - 1 piece;
- water - 1 liter.
- Pour dry beans, grains with water, leave to swell for 8 hours.
- Drain the liquid, boil in separate containers, drain through a sieve. Add salt 3 minutes before the end of cooking.
- Saute the finely chopped onion until blush. Boil the leaves for a couple of minutes, fold in a colander.
- Put all the prepared blanks in a bowl, season with seasonings, add chopped garlic, nuts, dried fruits and mix.
- Lay out the soft leaves, divide the filling between them and twist tightly like pancakes.
- Wash the tomatoes, rub through a fine grater. Pour the resulting mass into a high saucepan and let it boil. Add lemon juice.
- Put the rolls tightly into the mixture.
- Cook over low heat for 130 minutes, under load.
- Serve in portions, seasoned with fresh herbs, sauce.
