How to cook dolma at home: recipe with photo

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Dolma is minced meat with rice and spices wrapped in grape leaves. This dish is considered one of the main ones in the Caucasus and in the countries of the Caucasus, especially in Azerbaijan. Many who have tried this delicious dish are wondering how to cook dolma from grape leaves.

Dolma in cuisines of different nations

In the national cuisines of various peoples, dolma takes pride of place. It is widespread in the Caucasus and in the countries of Transcaucasia, as well as among the peoples of the Balkan Peninsula, North Africa, and Asia. The name of the dish can also vary: someone says “dolma”, someone says “dalma”, others say “dulma” or “durma”, some say “tolma”, “sarma” and so on.

Dolma is somewhat reminiscent of cabbage rolls. The only difference is that here the minced meat is not wrapped in cabbage leaves. Culinary sites are full of various visual recipes for how to cook dolma at home, we will talk about this topic.

In Azerbaijan this dishbeen prepared for many centuries. It can be found at any holidays: be it weddings or birthdays. Not a single solemn event or ordinary everyday gatherings with friends pass without dolma from grape leaves. It is not inferior in popularity to any other dish of national cuisine: neither kebab, nor shish kebab, nor pilaf. Any Azerbaijani or Azerbaijani, whoever you ask, knows the recipe for making dolma. Love for this dish in Azerbaijan is absorbed, so to speak, with mother's milk.

How grape leaves are harvested and where grapes grow

Grapes grow in countries not deprived of solar heat. For example, in Azerbaijan, many families in the yards can find gazebos, the roofs of which are decorated with a vine that gives fruit. It also protects very well from bright sunlight.

Only fresh young grape leaves are harvested for use in the preparation of dolma. Since this is a delicacy very beloved by many, you can make good money selling grape leaves, which is what people use.

In advance, for storage for the winter, grape leaves are collected in a plastic bottle or glass jar and wrapped with tape so that air does not get inside, which can ruin the leaves. In addition, you can store them in a glass jar with heavily s alted water. You need to keep such a workpiece in a cool place. Pre-prepared leaves save dolma lovers living in those countries where you can’t find grape leaves during the day with fire. Many,for example, they bring them with them to Russia, returning from their homeland, so that later there are no questions about how to cook dolma.

Different types of dolma

In Azerbaijan, dolma has a lot of varieties, depending on what the meat is wrapped in. It is made from green bean leaves, beets, rumesk, hazelnuts, and even bean leaves. The most popular is dolma, which is made from grape leaves. It is not difficult to prepare dolma of both one type and another. Dolma from different leaves differs in taste, but an excellent aroma always accompanies the dish. And another common quality in any variety is that, well, you just lick your fingers!

Besides this, another type of dolma, which is popularly called “Three Sisters”, is an adornment of Azerbaijani feasts. These are eggplants, tomatoes and bell peppers, inside of which they put minced meat (without rice) in a fried or boiled form.

This dish is also very tasty, but completely different from grape leaf dolma.

What is useful grape leaf

They contain many useful substances. Fresh leaves are often used in medicine - they are a very effective remedy for constipation. People with severe vision problems can make a cold solution from grape leaves, which also helps with rheumatism. Grape leaves are also useful in the treatment of diabetes - they have the ability to lower the sugar content in the body.

Also of themprepare a powder that helps to heal festering wounds faster and can even stop nosebleeds. This dried leaf powder is an excellent antiseptic.

Dolma shape: round or elongated

In its original form, dolma was made small and round. And then people, based on their imagination, began to invent other forms of this divine dish. There were such variants of dolma as a large round or long shape. In restaurants and various cafes, chefs usually like to cook dolma as described above - large and long. At home, this dish is usually prepared in smaller sizes.

It is also worth noting that dolma in catering establishments tastes nothing like homemade. Therefore, if you want to try this dish, it is better to cook it yourself, especially since there is nothing complicated here. Below is a recipe for making dolma with a photo.

Ingredients

- Vine leaves - as much as you need to wrap the meat.

- Ground beef - half a kilo.

- Minced lamb - half a kilo.

- Three large onions.

- Round rice - one hundred grams.

- Butter - two hundred grams.

- Greens (cilantro, parsley) - one bunch each.

- Garlic - three to four cloves.

- Mint or dry basil - one teaspoon (for a pleasant aroma).

- S alt - one tablespoon (without a slide).

- Black and red pepper - two pinches.

How to cook dolma: recipe with photo

We take washed, peeled two-three onions, rub them on a fine grater and add to the minced meat. We also add s alt, pepper, finely grated garlic and chopped herbs, pre-washed rice and butter at room temperature to the minced meat. Thoroughly mix everything together.

Next we move on to the grape leaves. If they are fresh, they must first be thoroughly washed, poured with boiling water and drained after a minute. Then the leaves will turn out to be very soft, and wrapping minced meat in them is as easy as shelling pears. If there are no fresh grape leaves, then we take the leaves prepared for the winter, thoroughly rinse them under running warm water from s alt so that the dolma does not end up s alty.

And now the main thing is how to cook dolma (process). We put one teaspoon of minced meat in each grape leaf and wrap it carefully.

Put the resulting lumps in a deep cauldron (pan) and pour 200 milliliters of water. We put on top, right on the dolma, a shallow plate with the inside down so that our products do not lose their shape during cooking.

Put the pan on a strong fire - until boiling, after - put a moderate one and let the dish cook slowly. After 40-50 minutes, we take one dolma, divide it into parts and check the readiness. To understand if it is ready, we try the rice: if it is soft, you can turn off the stove.

How to serve

Dolma is usually served with pilaf on holidays. If desired, instead of pilafuse pasta, buckwheat, mashed potatoes and so on. We have already learned how to cook dolma from grape leaves. Now let's move on to cooking garlic sauce, which must be served with dolma.

We will need one head of garlic, 250 milliliters of kefir and two tablespoons of sour cream. Also a pinch of s alt and some water. Rub the garlic on a fine grater into a bowl, add kefir, sour cream, s alt and water. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or whisk. We serve the sauce to each guest separately, pouring it into a small glass bowl. For originality and beauty, you can add a sprig of parsley to the bowl with sauce. This type of greenery is good not only for its external data, one of its advantages is the neutralization of the unpleasant garlic smell.

Since lamb meat can increase blood pressure, garlic sauce is just right, as one of its benefits is to improve blood circulation due to the garlic in the composition. Therefore, you can eat dolma without fear when there is this wonderful sauce nearby.

Among other things, it gives the dish a special, incomparable taste.

Anyone who has tried dolma once will not remain indifferent. Try it too. Bon appetit!