Dolma recipe in grape leaves from armenian and azerbaijani cuisine

 

The recipe for dolma in grape leaves is common in Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Balkan Peninsula. It is a mixture of rice and minced meat, wrapped in grape leaves. The dish has similar qualities to traditional stuffed cabbage rolls. Despite the fact that the exact time of the origin of this wonderful dish remains in question, it is reliably known that dolma was one of the Sultan's dishes of the Ottoman Empire.

Dolma recipe in grape leaves - in Armenian

According to researchers of the history of cooking, for the first time the recipe for dolma in grape leaves is found in the territory of modern Armenia. The popularity of this dish can be judged by the fact that there is an annual Dolma Festival in the country.

During cooking you will need:

• fresh or pickled grape leaves - 50 pcs;
• mixed minced beef and lamb in a 1: 1 ratio - 500 g;
• round grain rice - 100 g;
• onions - 1 pc;
• cloves of garlic - 3 pcs;
• cilantro - 50 g;
• purple basil - 100 g;
• dill - 50 g;
• hops-managed, utskho-suneli, tender curry, black pepper - 0.5 teaspoon each;
• sweet paprika, sumac, zira - 1 teaspoon each;
• salt to taste.

Fresh grape leaves are used to prepare the traditional dish. If pickled leaves were taken, they must be soaked.

Instead of minced meat, you can use fish fillets, minced chicken, or crawfish. Pasuts tolma (lean dolma) involves the use of red beans, lentils, or peas as the main ingredient in the dish.

Suitable for making the sauce:

• sour cream (or yogurt) - 500g;
• cloves of garlic - 3 to 5 (to taste);
• cinnamon - 0.5 teaspoon;
• salt.

During cooking, you will need a meat grinder, a slow cooker, a deep container, a garlic crusher or fine grater, a knife, and a cutting board.

After completing the preparation of the workplace, you can proceed to the main stages of cooking.

Stages of cooking dolma in Armenian

First step:

Put grape leaves in a deep container and pour boiling water over. Soaking time: fresh - 5 minutes, pickled - 15 minutes. Pull out the soaked leaves carefully so as not to tear. The optimal sheet size is no less than the palm.

Second phase:

Rinse fresh herbs under cold water, peel the onion and garlic. Chop herbs and vegetables finely. Add the ingredients to the pre-mixed minced meat and washed rice, and season with salt and pepper. For an even and light texture, it is recommended to stir the filling by gradually adding water (0.5 cups).

Stage three:

Place the filling on the back (matte) side of the sheet. Remove the leg of the leaf.

Stage four:

Wrap the minced meat in a leaf of grapes like spring rolls.

Stage five:

You can use a multicooker or a heavy bottom dish to finish cooking. At the bottom of the container, the harvested dolmas are placed from the walls to the center. On top of the dolma, you need to put a plate for a small weight (bottom up). Pour boiling water over so as to completely hide the dolma. Cooking time - 1 hour (for a multicooker the "stew / soup" function). You can add oregano or cumin to the water.

Stage six:

To prepare the sauce, you need to put the ingredients in a bowl (sour cream / yogurt, salt, cinnamon, crushed garlic). To stir thoroughly.

Stage seven:

Lay out the dishes to be served.

Spicy sauce and spices are an important difference between dolma and classic cabbage rolls. The dish should be flavorful and delicious.

Dolma with the addition of lamb should be served hot, since when it cools, the dish becomes less aromatic, and a film of frozen fat forms on the surface of the grape leaves.

Azerbaijani recipe for dolma in grape leaves

The primacy in the dispute over the origin of the recipe for fragrant and straight dolma in grape leaves is also shared by Azerbaijan. In 2017, a UNESCO committee recognized the method of preparing Azerbaijani dolma as one of the elements of human cultural heritage. In the same year, 300 recipes from all regions of Azerbaijan were presented at the International Dolma Festival.

To make dolma for 7-9 people you will need:

• minced beef or lamb - 450 g;
• canned grape leaves - 350 g;
• onions - 2 pcs;
• a clove of garlic - 1 pc;
• olive oil - 3 tablespoons;
• pine nuts - 2 tablespoons;
• mint leaves dried - 1 tablespoon;
• fresh parsley leaves - 3 tablespoons;
• long grain rice - a third of a glass;
• dried dill - 3 tablespoons;
• beef broth - 2 cups;
• lemon juice - 2 tablespoons;
• whole lemon (for serving) - 1 pc.

After preparing all the necessary ingredients, you can start cooking.

How to cook dolma in Azerbaijani

Stage one:

Place the pickled leaves in a colander to remove excess liquid. The leaves should dry out a little.

Stage two:

Peel the onion and garlic, finely chop and fry. The ingredients should be soft and juicy.

Stage three:

Mix spices, herbs, frying garlic and onions, rice, nuts and minced meat. Stir until smooth.

Stage four:

Put the resulting filling on the matte side of the grape leaves (without the stem) and wrap it in an envelope.

Stage five:

After preparing all the dolmas, you need to lay out the resulting envelopes at the bottom of the duckhouse in several layers and press on top with a plate.

Stage six:

Pour the dolma with beef broth and cover the duck with a lid (with a small slot for steam to escape). Bring the dish to a boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 60-90 minutes.

Stage seven:

You can serve the dish on the table with chopped lemon wedges or yogurt and garlic sauce.

In Azerbaijani cuisine, it is customary to use the leaves of grape varieties "agshany" and "karashany"; there are also options for wrapping the filling with fig or quince leaves.

Dolma Sauce Recipes

Dolma is a bright and hearty dish that cannot be imagined without a spicy or delicate sauce.

Sour cream and cucumber sauce

For cooking you will need:

• sour cream - 1 glass;
• cucumber - 1 pc;
• a bunch of cilantro;
• salt to taste;
• zest of one lemon.

The sauce adds freshness and softness to a hot dish.

Cooking progress:

1. Peel the cucumber, grate on a fine grater.
2. We clean the lemon from the zest with a grater.
3. Pour sour cream into a bowl.
4. Add zest, grated cucumber, cilantro and salt.
5. Stir the sauce until smooth.

Walnut sauce

The addition of a walnut will allow you to supplement the dish with useful substances and diversify the table. Adyghe cheese is best suited for cooking, but hard varieties can also be used.

For the sauce you will need:

• walnuts - 110 g;
• cheese - 120 g;
• cream (fat content 15%) - 1 glass;
• ghee - 0.5 pack;
• salt and pepper to taste.

After finishing cooking, you can start mixing.

Cooking progress:

1. Heat the cream until warm (do not boil).
2. Add ghee, after obtaining a homogeneous mass, remove from heat.
3. Top with chopped walnuts and spices to taste.
4. Mix with grated cheese to obtain the required thickness.

If desired, you can enrich the flavor with the addition of nutmeg.

Dolma recipe in grape leaves - video compilation