What kind of meat is Dolma made from? Dolma made from pickled grape leaves. How to cook dolma from grape leaves - delicious recipes

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

Required Products:

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. 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.

Not all housewives know how to prepare dolma at home. It seems like a pretty complicated dish, but in reality you don't need much: rice, some minced meat, leaves, special spices and a special sauce. In this article you will find a selection of the best recipes and learn the tricks of preparing dolma from different peoples of the world.

In the Caucasus, not a single festive feast is complete without dolma made from grapes or fresh leaves. Whether they are expecting a dear guest, celebrating a wedding, or celebrating a birthday, the hostess spins a whole pan of fragrant “tubes” with meat filling. Dolma is delicious hot or even cold, and it seems absolutely impossible to get enough of it! Especially if you dip it in a spicy white sauce and eat it with warm pita bread.

Dolma is an excellent hot appetizer.

The right to invent dolma is disputed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and even Uzbekistan. But varieties of dolma (or, as it is otherwise called, tolma) are found in Turkey and the Balkan countries. Culinary historians suggest that the dish was “inherited” from the Ottoman Empire, where it was constantly prepared at receptions for entire palaces. It is clear that since the time of Sultan Suleiman the recipe has gone through a lot of changes. But the essence has not changed.

To prepare classic dolma we will need:

a kilogram of minced meat (any kind, but not chicken!);
grape leaves (it is difficult to guess the quantity, it all depends on the number of eaters, at least 50 pieces);
large onion;
egg;
a handful of white rice;
a large bunch of greens - parsley, dill, and (this is a must!) cilantro;
salt and pepper to taste.

First of all, boil the rice until half cooked and mix it with minced meat. Cut the onion and herbs into small cubes, add one raw chicken egg, salt and pepper to taste. Knead the minced meat so that it turns out dense, uniform, and comes off well from your hands.

Pour boiling water over fresh grape leaves and then let them cool. All that remains is to skillfully twist the dolminki. To do this, place the meat filling on the sheet (on the rough side) and pack it, folding the edges towards the center.

Ready-made dolminki resemble straws or cigars - depending on which association you like. We place them on the bottom of a large pan, pressing them tightly together. All that remains is to pour in meat broth or water (to the height of one thumb), press everything down with a plate of slightly smaller diameter, let the water boil and cook over low heat until the leaves and minced meat are ready. The total cooking time from the moment of boiling is 40-60 minutes.

We serve the finished dolma on a large platter, and next to it we place a white sauce made from yogurt, garlic and herbs. We put large bunches of greens and warm lavash flatbreads on the table, and watch how our dolma is eaten in a matter of minutes!

In a slow cooker

A multicooker makes life easier for any housewife, reducing cooking time significantly. Dolma is no exception. Prepare dolma according to any recipe, place it in dense layers on the bottom of the multibowl, fill it with water, and start the “cooking” mode.

Why press the dolma? This way, our dolminki will not fall apart during cooking, and there will be no need to skim the foam from the broth.

If you don’t want the leaves to “unravel” in the process and the dolma to lose its shape, do it simply - cook it with the lid open, placing a light pressure plate on top with a diameter slightly smaller than the bowl. Usually it takes 30 minutes to cook in a multicooker, and what’s nice is that you can safely go about your business - the smart device itself will notify you about the end of the cooking process.

Cooking according to Azerbaijani recipe

Remember the legendary dialogue from the film “Mimino” between an Armenian and an Azerbaijani. “Do you like dolma? No. This is because you don’t know how to cook it.” In these two countries, the right to call dolma their national dish has been disputed for hundreds of years. It is curious that the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan has already appealed to UNESCO with a request to recognize dolma as an intangible heritage of the country. In the meantime, Unesco makes decisions, let's learn the tricks of preparing signature Azerbaijani dolma.

Azerbaijani-style dolma turns out to be very nourishing, tender and incredibly tasty.

The ideal size of the leaves is the size of a young woman’s palm, and the “fingers” of dolma should be small and neat. A large dolma is a sign of a lazy craftswoman.

Prepare this way:

For the signature recipe you will need a kilogram of veal, rice and tender grapes. They should be thin, young, and even better, picked from the tree in their own sap. In winter, dolma made from pickled grape leaves will go great, but its taste will still be completely different. In Azerbaijan, they prefer fresh leaves to pickled ones.
We grind the veal with fat tail through a meat grinder, add onions, herbs, and pour in warm boiled water (about a glass). The consistency should be slightly liquid, otherwise, Azerbaijanis are sure, the dolma will come out dry.
Cover the minced meat with half a glass of round rice.
We twist the dolma, as in the classic recipe, forming neat “fingers”.
Place them in a pan in dense layers.
Fill with water.
Press down with a plate.
Let the pan boil.
Let it cook for about an hour.
Turn off and let cool.
Place on a flat dish.

Serve dolma with natural yogurt sauce with garlic (you can add a bunch of any chopped herbs), invite guests and enjoy!

Dolma in Armenian - step by step

Classic dolma with grape leaves in Armenia is always prepared with three types of meat - beef, pork and lamb, which are mixed in equal quantities.

Armenian dolma always includes cilantro, basil, parsley and dill. other spices are at the discretion of the hostess.

The step-by-step recipe looks like this:

Grind 500 g of beef, pork and beef through a meat grinder.
Add finely chopped onion.
We cut a bunch of greens.
Add some salt.
Add black pepper.
We wash the rice and pour it into the minced meat. The amount of rice should be 2-3 times less than meat. You have to understand that it will boil over during the cooking process.
Mix the minced meat thoroughly.
Pour boiling water over fresh grape leaves. In winter, in Armenia they use pickled, salted leaves, thoroughly washed to remove salt. In summer they also prefer fresh ones.
Turn the leaves over with the rough side up.
Place a little minced meat in the middle of each (about one and a half teaspoons).
From the leaves we form dolmushki, reminiscent of thin cigars. There is no need to twist them tightly, because the rice should be boiled.
Line the bottom of a large pan with large grape leaves.
We distribute the dolminks on top, pressing them tightly against each other.
Fill the dolma with water a couple of centimeters above the tubes - it should cover our grape “cigars” by about the thumb.
Place a small weight lid on top.

Let the water boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grape leaves are soft for 40-50 minutes. While the dolma is cooking, prepare a delicious sauce from yogurt, garlic and herbs. A modern sauce recipe allows you to use ready-made mayonnaise (high-quality!) mixed with fresh sour cream as a base. But yogurt or yogurt, of course, remains a priority.

Interestingly, in Armenia any stuffed vegetables are called dolma. Minced meat is used to stuff zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, quince, small cabbage rolls, in short, all vegetables that can be stuffed with meat and stewed. The “trick” of the dish is that only the freshest and most aromatic fruits are used. On major holidays, royal dolma is prepared: several types of stuffed vegetables are stewed in one large pan at the same time. They give each other flavors and turn out delicious!

With lamb and mint

In the Caucasus, there are families who prepare dolma exclusively from lamb, and mint leaves, without stems, are always added as a seasoning. Mint and lamb go together amazingly! This dolma turns out spicy, tender and very aromatic. The main thing is not to overdo it with mint, because, as an active spice, it can overwhelm the taste of lamb.

Dolma is a fantastically tasty dish.

Dolma will become even tastier the next day, when the grape leaves and meat juices share their aromas with each other.
Matsoni is a type of yogurt, but slightly less sour. It is thick in itself and you just need to add some salt, garlic and herbs to make the taste rich. This white sauce is also low in calories, so eat it without fear of extra pounds.
Dolma seems like a troublesome dish. But only at first glance. In the Caucasus, whole families enjoy it, just like dumplings in Russia, and the cooking process turns into an interesting event. They prepare dolma with joy, drink new wine, and then everyone eats it together, enjoying the taste of dolma and communication. Try cooking dolma - you will discover a new hobby and a wonderful sociable dish.

Dolma (dalma), an analogue of our cabbage roll, is loved not only in the Caucasus. You can cook it with lamb, beef or other meat. I even like vegetarian and “lazy” dolma. The composition of minced meat can be very different. Finely chopped onions, garlic, rice, grated carrots, sweet peppers, spices and herbs are sometimes added to it.

Dolma can be eaten hot or cold

The main thing in dolma is the grape leaves. We have a vineyard on our site, so there are no problems with leaves. It is better to use leaves of not all grape varieties, but only those in which they are more delicate and have a rounded shape. Amur grapes are not suitable for dolma, and from varieties such as “Alfa” and “Khasansky” (Far Eastern selection), it is better to take only the youngest leaves.

Amur grape leaves are not suitable for dolma, because... they are rude

Cutting grape leaves

The photographs clearly show how the leaves of different grape varieties differ in shape.

It is more convenient to wrap minced meat in such leaves

If they are cut, then it is more difficult to wrap minced meat in them than in “round” ones. “Rough” ones are usually rougher than “smooth” ones.

I put cut grape leaves only in “lazy” dolma

If there is no grape bush with “ideal” leaves, then it is better to use the youngest, medium-sized ones. Larger leaves tend to be coarser, especially towards the end of summer. It is these “burdocks” that many people buy at markets in order to wrap more minced meat. I like tiny dolma balls, which, in my opinion, are the most delicious.

First of all, you need to completely free the leaves from the petioles.

Cutting off the leaf petiole

Immediately place the leaves in a bowl of clean water. After that, I immediately start wrapping the minced meat in them. I don’t pour boiling water over them (as some recipes recommend) and don’t soak them in water.

I keep the leaves in water until I put the minced meat on them.

Cooking minced meat

I usually make minced beef. Be sure to add some very cold water to it. Many years ago, one elderly worker at a meat processing plant told me that the old masters always put snow or crushed ice in the minced meat for sausage. Without such an additive, she said, the minced meat would stick together.

Mandatory ingredients are salt and black pepper. I quickly crush hard peas with the flat part of a metal meat mallet and immediately add them to the minced meat. The finished ground pepper is too fine and not as fragrant. We love it when there is a lot of greens in the minced meat: cilantro and dill.

Dill goes well with the taste of grape leaves

Excellent dolma is made with minced meat, in which a little lightly boiled rice is placed. If you put in fully cooked rice, it will turn into porridge.

I do not add any dried fruits to dolma, so as not to spoil the special aroma and delicate taste of grape leaves.

Wrap the minced meat in leaves

You need to prepare a lot of dolma. I roll up tiny balls, each of which contains no more than a teaspoon of minced meat. Grape leaves turn out tender and tasty, soaked in meat, herbs and sour cream sauce.

I put no more than a teaspoon of minced meat

Every time I roll the balls differently. The main thing is that the minced meat should not come out of them. The remains of the prepared leaves can be placed on top or mixed with dolma. I don't put them on the bottom.

Dolma is prepared in a wok or any other suitable container.

I place the balls with minced meat wrapped in grape leaves in a wok or other deep frying pan.

I place the balls with minced meat so that they do not unfold during cooking.

I fill it with them almost to the very top. I add a little water (by eye) and cover with a transparent lid. I don't add vegetable oil.

I cook dolma under the lid

From time to time I remove the lid and (if necessary) add a little boiling water. About fifteen minutes before the end of cooking I add sour cream or mayonnaise, slightly diluted with water. Finally, I remove the lid to allow excess moisture to evaporate.

In order for all the dolma to be juicy, from time to time I turn the layers of bags over with a wide spatula. In this case, the dolma does not fall apart and is not injured. This technique allows, during the cooking process, the upper balls with minced meat to be closer to the bottom of the wok, and the lower ones in the middle or upper part.

Cooking time is about 30 - 40 minutes. You should definitely try to see if the dolma is ready. Should I check if I should add a little more sour cream (mayonnaise) or add water?

Pieces of tofu are soaked in the taste and aroma of dolma

Ready dolma

Removed from the heat, I leave the dolma covered for about 30 minutes. Tiny fragrant and juicy bags are incredibly tasty not only hot, but also cold. They have only one drawback: it is impossible to stop and not eat the entire pan at once.

"Lazy" dolma

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Since the time of the Ottoman Empire, dolma in grape leaves has been part of the Sultan’s cuisine and one of its most prominent representatives. The recipe has survived to this day almost unchanged.

Many peoples still have heated debates about who came up with the idea of stuffing grape leaves, cabbage and vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. The Greeks insist on its Greek origin, calling the dish “dolmas”; the Armenians and Georgians take credit for the appearance of this dish, calling it “dolma”; the Uzbeks called it “dulma”. There is also a possibility that dolma originated in the vastness of Turkish cuisine, thanks to its rich culinary traditions. The presence of this dish is typical for many countries that succumbed to Turkic influence. During the conquests, the Turks significantly enriched and diversified the cuisines of many countries with original culinary innovations.

In any case, the recipe for dolma in grape leaves, according to many sources, was developed for elite cuisine, since it contains a number of different cooking techniques, requires certain cooking skills and the ability to harmoniously combine various ingredients in one dish.

Recipe for dolma from grape leaves in Armenian

To prepare dolma you will need:

0.5 kg minced meat;
100 g round rice;
2 onions;
1 bell pepper;
0.5 chili pepper;
2 large tomatoes;
30-35 large grape leaves;
5 sprigs of cilantro, parsley;
a pinch of dried basil, tarragon;
0.5 tsp each coriander and cumin seeds;
30 g butter;
salt pepper.

Traditionally, Armenian dolma is served with creamy garlic sauce or a thick fermented milk product - matsun, which can be replaced with homemade yogurt or low-fat sour cream.

To prepare the sauce you will need:

200 ml cream;
3 cloves of garlic;
50 g butter;
3-4 sprigs of mint, parsley, cilantro.

Preparing the sauce:

Fry the chopped ones in melted butter for 3 minutes over low heat.
Pour in the cream in small portions and bring it to the state of the first bubbles. Turn off the stove.
Finely chop the greens and mix them with cream.
Add salt to the sauce to taste.

In traditional Armenian cuisine, in the process of preparing dolma from grape leaves, 3 types of meat are used for minced meat - lamb, beef, pork in equal parts. Another serious point is the fact that the meat is not minced in a meat grinder, but chopped into small pieces using sharp knives.

Product preparation:

Dolma in grape leaves

Step-by-step recipe with photos:

To fill Lenten dolma (“pasuts tolma”), it is worth trying to use not only traditional rice, but also products such as lentils, chickpeas, small red beans, and wheat cereals.

Formation of dolma:

You can learn more clearly how to prepare dolma from grape leaves and form it correctly by watching the video.

For stuffing, it is best to take young grape leaves collected in the spring, then the finished dolma will be tender and the rough veins will not spoil the impression of the dish.

The formed blocks should be placed tightly one to one in a deep pan with a thick bottom, lined with the remaining grape leaves (or place a plate upside down on the bottom of a regular pan) so that the dolma does not burn during the cooking process.

Next, pour salted boiling water up to the level of the top layer of grape rolls (you can also use meat broth), add a piece of butter and cover with a heavy thick plate or place a load in the form of a jar of water. Bring the dish to a boil, turn down the heat to low and continue to simmer for about 1 hour. You can check for readiness by breaking one block: the leaf should come off easily, and the rice should be soft and cooked.

The finished dolma needs to be given time to rest and brew. To do this, it is best to wrap the pan in a blanket and leave for 20 minutes.

Dolma in grape leaves can easily be prepared in a slow cooker, given the fact that it initially contains a non-stick bowl and is a thick-walled container.

The recipe for dolma made from fresh grape leaves is almost no different from the recipe made from pickled ones. The only process that makes the difference is soaking the canned leaves to get rid of excess acid. They do not need to be boiled further. Just add boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.

Despite the fact that in Armenia, annual festivals are held in honor of dolma with demonstrations of various culinary experiments (for example, serving a popular dish with mushroom, cherry, pomegranate sauces or nut and pea fillings), it is no less famous in Azerbaijan, where dolma is also considered part of national cuisine.

The Azerbaijani way of preparing dolma from grape leaves is different in that it is more traditional to use salted fish (stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, etc.) for the filling rather than meat. If minced meat is used, then lamb is used to prepare it. In the summer, when there is an abundance of vegetables, mainly fruits and vegetables are stuffed - peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, quinces, apples, as well as leaves of cabbage, sorrel, and figs. Azerbaijani dolma is seasoned with lemon or apple juice, nuts, various vegetable oils and many spices. About a dozen dishes in Azerbaijan contain the word “dolma” in their names.

The finished dolma should be served hot with sauce as an independent dish or cold as a snack with herbs. In any of the options, it will be a bright decoration of the table and its main extraordinary dish. Do not be afraid of the large number of processes involved in its preparation. Indeed, in terms of complexity, dolma is significantly inferior to the usual cabbage rolls - preparing cabbage leaves is much more labor-intensive work than simply soaking grape leaves in water.

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!