How long to cook dolma from grape leaves. Recipe for making dolma from fresh grape leaves

Dolma is cabbage rolls, but not with cabbage, but with grape leaves. The filling, as in cabbage rolls, is rice and minced meat, and different ones. But dolma can also be vegetarian.

Tasty and aromatic dolma is traditionally prepared in Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. However, cabbage rolls made from young grape leaves have become popular in the cuisine of other nations. Recently, a Norwegian friend of mine taught my Moscow Armenian friend how to cook “real dolma” :) “I’ll show you the recipe for dolma as it is,” a real Scandinavian guest shared his secrets.

Cabbage rolls in grape leaves are much more tender than their counterparts in cabbage leaves. They have a pleasant sourness and amazing aroma. Believe me, if you haven’t tried it yet: the tenderness and aroma of dolma do not become overcooked! As for cooking, turning “dolmushki” is a pleasant and exciting thing.

Ingredients

• minced meat (pork + beef) – 350-400g
• rice - 60-80g
• onions – 1-2 pcs.
• vegetable oil – 50-70 ml
• butter – 30-40g
• carrots – 1 pc.
• black pepper, salt
• balsamic vinegar - less than 1 teaspoon
• cumin (ground)
• dill and parsley - medium bunch
• dry herbs (cilantro, mint, basil)
• grape leaves – 40-55 pcs.
• cauldron or stewpan for 2-2.5 l

Preparation

Leaves for dolma. Only fresh grape leaves (small and young) are suitable for dolma. They are very tender and fragrant.

Select leaves for dolma in advance, excluding all coarse and large leaves (especially older ones). Rinse thoroughly under running water. Then dip into boiling water for a few seconds (5-10), remove to a colander, let drain and cool.

You can also use canned leaves for dolma. They are very easy to prepare. Rinse young, not very large and hard grape leaves with cold water. Then, in batches of 5-10 pieces, dip into boiling water for 5-10 seconds. Let cool slightly and, stacking them in stacks of 5-10 pieces, roll into rolls. Place the resulting blanks (rolls) in a sterile jar (preferably 700-800g). This volume is enough for one-time preparation of dolma for a family. Separately, prepare hot brine at the rate of 1 tablespoon per 600 ml of water. Pour hot brine over the grape leaves and cover with a lid. Before using, it is advisable to soak the canned leaves in cold water for 5-10 minutes.



Filling for dolma

Peel the onion, rinse and cut into cubes. Melt butter in a frying pan. Add vegetable oil and chopped onion. Bring it to transparency.



The authentic recipe for dolma does not include such an ingredient as carrots, and You can skip this step. But this is a matter of taste. If you use carrots, peel and rinse them. Grate on a coarse grater and combine with the lowered onion. Cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.



Rinse the rice thoroughly and boil in salted water for 3-5 minutes. Place in a sieve and rinse with cold water.



Combine rice and sautéed vegetables in a bowl.



Season with salt and pepper to your taste.



Traditional dolma must contain minced lamb, sometimes with the addition of beef. However, minced pork and beef, which is more familiar to us, will not spoil its taste either. Add the prepared minced meat to the rice mixture.



Add cumin and dry herbs, pour in vinegar. Chop the washed dill and parsley and also combine with the rest of the ingredients. Mix the dolma filling thoroughly.



Preparing dolma rolls. Place the grape leaf back side up. Place some filling at the base.



Cover the filling with the overhanging edges of the grape leaf.



Fold the sides to the center.



Roll the dolma into a tight roll. Do the same with the rest of the leaves.



Placing dolma in a container and cooking. Place the pieces in a cauldron or saucepan (lightly grease them with olive oil) in dense rows. Having filled one row, you can lay out one or two more layers. Cover the last layer of dolma with grape leaves without filling (if there are enough leaves).

Add another 2-3 tbsp to the container. l. olive oil and cover the food with a plate turned upside down along the diameter of the saucepan, creating a kind of press. This is done so that the dolma rolls do not open during cooking.

Now fill the dolma with water or broth, vegetable or meat, so that the dolma is covered by 1-2 cm. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook dolma (covered) until cooked, about 50-60 minutes. During cooking, add more water if necessary.

After this, carefully, so as not to burn yourself, remove the plate and tilt the saucepan on its side. Very carefully scoop out some of the aromatic juice from the pan - you will need it to prepare the sauce.

Serve with sour cream, yogurt or hot sauce. One of the most delicious sauces is given below. Dolma is served with it in Greece.

Egg-lemon sauce and dolma cream

Ingredients:

• 5 lemons
• 5 eggs
• 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch (for cream)
• ½ teaspoon salt (for cream)
• a little less than half a teaspoon of pepper (for cream)

How to cook:

1. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites into a thick meringue. Continuing to beat, add the yolks, lemon juice and juice from the pan. Your egg-lemon sauce is ready.
2. If you are not going to prepare the cream, then pour the prepared sauce into the dolma in the pan and carefully tilt the pan in different directions by the handles so that the sauce spreads better over the food.
3. If you want to make cream, do the following: Place cornstarch in a small saucepan and dissolve it in 200 g of water. Then add ½ teaspoon of salt and a little less pepper to the starch.
4. Heat the dissolved starch over medium heat.
5. As soon as the starch liquid is warm, add the previously prepared egg sauce to it. Continuously stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes until you have a cream. (Be aware that the mixture may curdle very quickly).
6. Pour the prepared cream over the dolma and tilt the pan again in different directions so that the cream is distributed evenly.

At home, you can use a variety of devices to boil dolma. The time spent on this process will depend on the exposure option. For example, to prepare a product from minced meat and grape leaves (dolma) in the traditional way, you will have to spend about 45-50 minutes.

You need to cook it in a slow cooker and a double boiler. 1 hour. The fastest way to boil a semi-finished product is in the microwave; it takes no more than 15 minutes. But when choosing the optimal treatment option, you must be guided not by how much time you will have to spend on bringing the component to readiness, but by the taste and aroma of the final result.

Important and useful facts about dolma

Before you start preparing dolma or boiling a semi-finished product, you should learn more about the features and characteristics of this dish. This will allow you to get the most tasty and aromatic delicacy, and not boiled minced meat in a shell of grape leaves.

• A real Armenian dish is prepared from minced lamb, but products made from beef or pork are also acceptable. But poultry meat in this case is considered an absolutely unsuccessful option.
• Dolma does not have to be boiled in water. The dish will turn out more juicy and rich if you use meat broth or a bouillon cube as a medium.
• In addition to grape leaves, minced meat is wrapped in eggplant, beet and even sorrel leaves.
• By the way, the leaves are not necessarily taken fresh; salted ones cope with the task no less successfully. When choosing a fresh component, you need to remember that it should be light, i.e. young. But it is better to avoid very large and dark elements; no matter how much you process them, you will not achieve the required degree of softness.

Tip: If you want to give a familiar dish a more refined taste, then it is recommended to add, in addition to onions, herbs and peppers, a little grated carrots and pumpkin to the minced meat.

• Boiling water is used to soften grape leaves. Young elements are simply scalded, and older ones are boiled for 3-5 minutes. Considering the fact that this nuance is often ignored by manufacturers of semi-finished products, it is better to prepare dolma yourself from start to finish.
• It is worth considering that this dish should be steamed, not fried, so be sure to line the bottom of the cooking container with leaves (grape or at least cabbage). An additional advantage of this technique is that the dolma will be much juicier.

The finished dolma does not have to be served hot right away. The dish will seem no less tasty after it has cooled, but it must be served with herbs and lemon. Sour cream sauce would be a good addition.

How to cook dolma correctly?

In the case of boiling dolma, an important role is played not only by how long the processing will last, but also by how to organize it. Here are basic recommendations for processes depending on the impact option.

• In a saucepan. We take a container with a thick bottom, lay out a layer of grape leaves, and place dolma on them in one layer. Fill it all with water so that the water covers the entire structure by 1 cm. Next, lay out another layer of the product and cover it all with grape leaves. If the product begins to float, then press down the mass with an inverted plate of a suitable diameter. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook the contents over low heat for 45-50 minutes after boiling.

• In a steamer. Here everything is much simpler, because the dolma will be covered with steam in any case. You just need to place the blanks in the appropriate bowl (for this, they usually use a stand with holes so that the juice does not accumulate and soften the leaves too much) and set the timer for 1 hour. If the device takes a long time to start up, then we note the hour from the moment the steam is supplied.

• In a slow cooker. There are two approaches you can use here. The first involves processing the semi-finished product, as in a saucepan. In this case, everything is organized in exactly the same way, the “Extinguishing” mode is set and the device is started for 50 minutes. Or you can steam the dolma by placing it in a special basket. Then you need to pour some water into the bowl, assemble the structure, set the “Steam” mode and set the timer for 1 hour.

• In the microwave. This option allows you to cook a semi-finished product in literally minutes. It is necessary to place the component tightly in a deep heat-resistant bowl, add a little salt, pour melted butter over the workpiece (a couple of tablespoons) and pour in a glass of water or broth. Cover the contents of the dish with a plate or lid and cook on medium power for 15 minutes.

It is not recommended to boil dolma in a pressure cooker, because... It will be difficult to choose the optimal temperature and duration of exposure. But a pressure cooker will give good results. The holding time will also be from 50 minutes to an hour. As a last resort, the semi-finished product can be boiled in a colander secured over a pan of boiling water.

Sometimes no tricks for boiling dolma help. Most likely, this simply indicates the low quality of the workpieces. To avoid such a problem, you need to prepare the dish yourself, especially since it is quite simple.

• To prepare the minced meat, we need 300 g of lamb, an onion, three tablespoons of rice, salt and pepper. Additionally, we take 7-8 salted or fresh grape leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, herbs, half a glass of sour cream.
• Soak the rice in hot water for 10 minutes, mix with minced lamb, grated onion, add salt. If salted leaves are used, they should be poured with boiling water and left for 12 hours to get rid of excess salt. Immediately before use, cut the cuttings from the elements.
• We lay out the sheet, put the prepared minced meat on it, and wrap it so that we get a small sausage. Boil the resulting preparations using one of the methods listed above.
• While the dolma is cooking, prepare a sauce from sour cream and grated garlic. Serve the finished dish with sauce and chopped herbs.

It is worth considering that the quality of the leaves used may affect the taste characteristics of the finished product. If you prepare dolma from fresh leaves, then salt the minced meat well and do not forget to add the water in which the components are cooked. But salted leaves, even soaked ones, will already fill the product with the required degree of salinity. But even in this case, you will have to add a little salt and pepper to the minced meat. In general, all the nuances of processing semi-finished products become obvious only with experience.

Description

Georgian dolma It has its own extraordinary taste and that’s why you should try to cook it at least once. Dolma itself may resemble cabbage rolls, which are more familiar to us, but it is fundamentally different from this dish. The differences begin with the filling: lamb is most often used for dolma. Also, herbs and spices are added to the minced meat, which you will learn more about if you read our step-by-step recipe for preparing Georgian dolma with photos.

There is nothing better than making dolma at home from fresh grape leaves. However, if there are none, then you can easily purchase pickled leaves in the store. On our website you will find a simple recipe for pickling grape leaves for the winter. It is equally important to choose the right sauce for serving dolma, which will not only complement and combine with dolma, but also emphasize its taste characteristics. This is exactly the ideal sour cream sauce with spices that we will prepare today along with the main dish. Georgian dolma will not leave you indifferent and your loved ones will really like it.

Ingredients

• 
  (pulp, 300 g)
• 
  (300 g)
• 
  (4 cloves)
• 
  (50 g)
• 
  (30 g)
• 
  (30 g)
• 
  (50 g)
• 
  (100 ml)
• 
  (200 ml)
• 
  (200 ml)
• 
  (taste)
• 
  (taste)
• 
  (fresh, 26 pcs.)
• 
  (2 pcs.)
• 
  (2-3 branches)
• 
  (2-3 branches)
• 
  (7-8 pcs.)
• 
  (ground, to taste)
• 
  (taste)
• 
  (taste)
• 
  (taste)

Cooking steps

Let's prepare all the necessary ingredients for preparing dolma according to the Georgian recipe. It is best to pick the freshest and youngest grape leaves, then the dolma will turn out even more delicious.



We wash the lamb tenderloin under cold water and dry it, then cut it into large pieces to make it more convenient to grind it in a meat grinder in the future.



We pass each piece through a meat grinder and thereby chop the lamb. You can also prepare chopped minced meat to create dolma.



Peel several small onions and chop them finely.



In a deep, large bowl, mix chopped onions and lamb, add half-cooked rice, chopped, washed parsley and thyme, a pinch of cumin and coriander to taste, freshly ground black pepper and salt.



Also pour the specified amount of ordinary cold water into the bowl with the ingredients for the minced meat. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until smooth.



We thoroughly wash the grape leaves and cut off the dense stem of each one as shown in the photo.



Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil, add a little salt and cook the leaves in it for 2-3 minutes.



Place a teaspoon of previously prepared minced meat in the center of the cooked grape leaves.



First, we wrap the side parts of the grape leaf and only then roll it into a tight roll.



To cook Georgian dolma we need a thick pan. We begin to lay out the rolled rolls on the bottom in a circle near the wall.



On top of the laid out rolls we place several bay leaves, torn sprigs of thyme and black peppercorns.



Carefully pour water into the pan so that it covers the dolma completely and is 1 centimeter above its level.





To prevent the minced meat rolls from unrolling, we need to place a weight on top. Place a plate of water and leave the dolma to simmer over low heat for 90 minutes.



While preparing the dolma, you can prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and kefir.



Grind ground paprika along with black pepper and cumin, as well as salt.



Chop the cilantro, peel and cut the garlic into small cubes. Mix all ingredients with sour cream and kefir using a whisk or a regular fork.



The mixed sauce can be left to steep in the refrigerator.



We serve the finished dish and decorate it with fresh vegetables, pour in a small amount of the resulting broth and serve it to the table along with the prepared sauce. Georgian dolma in grape leaves is ready.



Bon appetit!

Dolma is a delicious dish whose roots go far back to Asian countries. Traditional for eastern countries, minced lamb or beef is wrapped in young grape leaves, which are previously kept in boiling water in order to become softer and more manageable. In this form, dolma is stewed for a long time in a cauldron on the stove, which allows the grape leaves to soften even more and impart their flavor to the dish. Dolma is the progenitor of the well-known cabbage rolls, which we usually cook with minced pork and beef and wrapped in cabbage leaves. That is, in essence, dolma is the same cabbage rolls wrapped in grape leaves. But there is a difference in the preparation of the sheets themselves, and a very significant one. To make the grape leaves tender and easy to chew, there are some secrets, which will be discussed below. Therefore, if you want the most delicious, juicy and tender dolma, I advise you to read to the end for the recipe with photos at home. And then, I’m sure, everyone will be delighted with the prepared dish.

Ingredients:

• Minced meat - 550-600 g
• Onions - 2 3 pcs.
• Dry rice - 60-70 g
• Grape leaves - 20-30 pcs.
• Zira - 1 tsp.
• Ground red pepper or paprika - 1/2 tsp.
• Salt, ground black pepper - to taste
• Greens - to taste.

Homemade dolma recipe with photo.

Everyone in Armenia loves it, young and old, and, probably, there is not an Armenian housewife who does not know how to cook dolma. Moreover, all household members believe that no one in the world knows how to cook this dish so deliciously better than their mother or grandmother. Remember the episode from the film “Mimino”, in which Khachikyan (Frunzik) says to Mimino (Kikabidze): “Valik jan, let’s go to my place in Dilijan, my mother will cook tolma. Real jam!"? from grape leaves according to a recipe that has been passed down by word of mouth in Armenia for a thousand years? In principle, there is nothing complicated here. The most important thing is that the meat is fresh and fatty, and the grape leaves are thin and silky. Only in this case the dish will turn out truly tender and tasty.

Preparing grape leaves for dolma

In Armenia, “dolma” is also the name for a dish that we call “stuffed cabbage rolls”, and vegetables are placed in the pan along with them: eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. All this is poured with tomato sauce and simmered over low heat. However, the most iconic dolma is the one prepared with grape leaves. Of course, the most convenient time for such a dish is the beginning of June. This is when the grape leaves bloom. You need to choose the lightest ones (dark green ones will be a little hard) the size of a woman’s palm. Before preparing dolma, the leaves are immersed in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, carefully removed and kept under cold water. In Armenia, it is customary to eat this dish all year round. You will probably be surprised and think: “How to prepare dolma from grape leaves in winter, if they fall in the fall, like everyone else?” Armenian housewives found a way out of this situation. They stock up on a large number of grape leaves and preserve them for the winter as follows:

1. You need to take a half-liter jar, wash it thoroughly and dry it.

2. Wash the grape leaves and place them on a paper towel to absorb the moisture.

3. Fold them in stacks of 10-15 pieces and wrap them in a tube, each of which can be tied with threads so that it does not unravel.

4. Place them in a vertical position in a jar and fill them with salted boiled water (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water).

5. Sterilize for 8-10 minutes.

Cooking dolma in Armenian style

• Fatty ground beef (you can also use pork) - 1 kg.
• Round rice - 100 g.
• Onion - 3 pcs.
• Dried or fresh basil and rosemary.
• Black and red pepper, salt.
• Butter - 50 g.
• leaves - 1 half-liter jar.

For the sauce:

• Matsoni (yogurt) - 200 g.
• Garlic - 1 clove.

Cooking method

After watching the film “Mimino,” many viewers were probably interested in the question of how to prepare dolma from grape leaves, which “Rubik Jan” talks about. However, many people think that this is a very difficult dish and requires special skills. There is nothing difficult in creating this dish, but if you still decide to cook it, you need to be patient.

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Add rice and a little water or meat broth, ground onion, fresh or dried herbs, spices, salt to the minced meat, stir well and let sit in a cool place for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare grape leaves. If you use canned ones, then you need to let the water drain, remove the threads from the tubes and disassemble them.

3. Take one leaf and place it on a plate with the wide part up. The dolma should be wrapped like pancakes. Place 1 spoon of minced meat in the center of the sheet, cover on both sides, and then roll into a tight tube. Place the dolma on the bottom of the pan in a circle, very close to each other. Place an inverted plate on top as a press. Pour boiling water so that the water level is 1 finger higher than the dolma.

4. Set the pan to simmer over low heat for 40-50 minutes. After the water boils, add a piece of butter and also taste the broth, and add salt to taste if necessary.

Innings

Hot dolma is served with a sauce made from matsoni and garlic. This dish is a must on the New Year's table in Armenia. Now you know how to prepare dolma from grape leaves, and you can surprise your guests and loved ones on New Year's Eve.