Dolma (Azerbaijan)

5 from 1 vote

Dolma is an Azerbaijani dish made by stuffing grape leaves with lamb meat, rice, onion, and herbs like mint, dill, and cilantro! They are perfect served alone or with a delicious and authentic garlic yogurt dipping sauce. These dolma are almost guaranteed to be a family favorite!

Course appetizers, Main Course

Cuisine azerbaijan, lebanese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2

Servings grapeleaves

Calories 35kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

Stuffing

1 pound ground lamb
1 medium onion grated
½ cup medium-grain white rice (such as basmati)
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper to Taste (Use code FF20 for 20% off)

Assembly

About 75 medium sized grape leaves jarred or canned
3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
Plain Yogurt or Garlicky yogurt sauce to serve

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the stuffing ingredients. Mix with your hand until well combined.
If using canned leaves, put batches of them in a colander, rinse well under cold water to remove the salt, and drain. If the canned leaves feel too thick, blanch them in boiling water for about a minute, then drain. Otherwise, do not blanch. Cut off the stems.
Arrange some of the damaged leaves flat on the bottom of the saucepan. If you don’t have damaged leaves, line the bottom of the saucepan with unused whole leaves to cover.
Hold a leaf shiny side down on the palm of your hand. Place about 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling at the stem end of the leaf. Fold the top down, then the sides over the filling and roll up tightly to shape it into a 1-inch round bundle.
Arrange the stuffed leaves, seam side down, on the bottom of the pan. Continue until all the leaves and filling are used, arranging the stuffed bundles snugly together in the pan, making several layers.
Dot the top with butter and pour in water to cover the dolma halfway. Place a small lid or a small ovenproof plate on top of the stuffed leaves to keep them tight and to prevent them from opening. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the leaves are tender, the filling is cooked, and there is little liquid left (if the liquid is completely absorbed at some point during cooking, add more water and continue to simmer).
Serve immediately with bread and plain yogurt or garlicky yogurt sauce to spoon onto the dolma to taste.
Garlicky Yogurt Sauce: To make garlicky yogurt sauce, in a bowl, combine 1 cup or more plain yogurt with 2-4 cloves garlic, crushed with a garlic press.

Notes

Recipe from AZ Cookbook

Nutrition