How to prepare dolma from grape leaves according to the Armenian recipe? Recipe for preparing delicious Armenian dolma from fresh grape leaves at home with photo Armenian cabbage rolls with grape leaves step-by-step recipe.

05.04.202427.05.2017

Recipe for making delicious dolma in Armenian. Hurry up and replenish your culinary repertoire with another great recipe for Armenian cuisine.

Dolma is a popular dish in many parts of the world. In Armenia, dolma has a special attitude - it is always the highlight of any culinary program. Armenian dolma is often prepared with lamb, less often with beef and poultry. Wrap juicy minced meat in grapevine leaves; if fresh ones are not available, use canned ones. Prepared by stewing over low heat. We will tell you how to prepare delicious Armenian dolma.

What is needed for Armenian dolma

Required ingredients:

This is how the finished Armenian dolma should look!

45 grape leaves (fresh or canned);
1.5 kg lamb pulp;
0.5 cups peeled walnuts;
1 head of garlic;
3 onions;
5 tbsp. l. sour cream;
2 pinches each of dried sage, turmeric and ground pepper;
3-4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
salt.

Recipe for classic dolma

Grind the meat, garlic cloves, and onions through a meat grinder. Finely chop the greens. Crush the nuts with a knife and dry for a couple of minutes in a hot, dry frying pan. Cool.
Place the minced meat for dolma in a bowl, add spices, nuts, salt, and herbs. Mix thoroughly, periodically lifting the meat mass and forcefully dropping it to the bottom of the bowl.
Place the grape leaves in a colander and pour boiling water from the kettle over them. Cut off the tough petioles. Spread the minced meat onto the cooled grape leaves - about a tablespoon per leaf. Fold the side edges inward and roll into neat, tight rolls.
Set aside a few leaves in advance and cover the bottom of a wide, thick-bottomed pan with them. Place the dolma on them, placing them tightly one to the other.
Mix water and vegetable oil, pour dolma until it disappears under the liquid. Cover the dolma with an inverted lid without a handle and place pressure on top. Simmer on low heat for two hours. Serve with sour cream. Bon appetit!

This video is not just a visual example of how to prepare dolma, but a whole performance with special effects and the incredible charisma of the main character!

Garlic, paprika, coriander and cinnamon are used as spices for minced meat. A couple of pinches of cinnamon and 1 tsp each will be enough. paprika and coriander.

Not only beef, but also lamb will do.

Wash the grape leaves. Boil water in a saucepan, add 50 g of salt. Immerse the leaves in it and cook for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a container with cold water.
Soak well-washed rice in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain the water.
Cut the meat into pieces and pass through a meat grinder along with the onions. Add spices and 4 cloves of garlic, passed through a press, to the minced meat. Mix with rice.
Place the grape leaves with the veins facing up and straighten them out. Place the filling on each leaf and carefully wrap it in an envelope.
Place the finished dolma on the bottom of a thick-walled dish. Can be laid out in several layers. Pour salted boiling water so that the water covers the dolma. Place a weight on top.
Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for about half an hour.
Add cinnamon and a couple of crushed garlic cloves to the matsoni and mix.

In the photo, Armenian dolma was served on a common plate. The dish is eaten hot and sauce is poured on top.

How to cook dolma correctly

In this recipe, some vegetables and herbs are added to the meat filling.

Required ingredients:

800 g beef;
120 g rice;
1 tomato
1 bell pepper;
2 onions;
Greenery;
0.5 kg of grape leaves;
0.5 l. kefir;
3-4 cloves of garlic;
Salt and pepper to taste.

Chopped parsley and dill are used as greens.

Pour boiling water over the leaves and leave for 10 minutes. Select particularly large leaves and set aside. They will be useful for lining the bottom of the pan.
Pour boiling water over washed rice.
Cut the meat, onion and pepper into pieces and pass through a meat grinder. Add chopped tomato. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper, mix with rice and chopped herbs, mix well.
Pass the garlic through a garlic press and mix with kefir.
Place minced meat on each grape leaf and wrap in an envelope.
Place grape leaves on the bottom of the pan and add dolma. Cover with a flat plate and place a weight on it. Pour boiling water so that the dolma is covered with water. Simmer over low heat for about half an hour.

Pour garlic sauce over the finished dish and serve.

It is difficult to say in which cuisine of the world a dish of minced meat and rice wrapped in grape leaves first appeared. Many peoples consider this culinary masterpiece to be their invention. Armenians are also among them, in whose national cuisine dolma is one of the most favorite dishes. For this reason, many believe that if you want to cook real dolma, you should use the recipe of Armenian cuisine. Armenian dolma in grape leaves is different from other similar dishes, and its recipe deserves the right to be included in the cookbook of any housewife.

Cooking features

Every housewife can cook a delicious dolma in Armenian, even if she has never been to Armenia. Despite the fact that the recipe is unusual and quite intricate, it is not difficult to use, and no special culinary skills are required for this. The main thing is to know and take into account several important points.

Step-by-step video recipe

The minced meat used to prepare Armenian dolma is usually made from beef, although it is also acceptable to use lamb for this purpose. Mixed minced meat will also be tasty. The main thing is to take quality meat for him. That is why it is undesirable to take minced meat for dolma in a store, because in this case there cannot be firm confidence that it is made from good meat and not from low-grade meat products.
Regardless of whether lamb or beef was used to prepare the minced meat, to make dolma in Armenian style, you will need lamb ribs. Preference should be given to young lamb ribs, as they cook faster and are more tender. When stewing, the ribs are laid out on the bottom of a cauldron or pan, thanks to which the dolma does not burn and acquires a unique taste and aroma.
Grape leaves for dolma can be used either fresh or canned. In any case, it is necessary to remove the roughest parts of them, including the stalk. The leaves also need to be washed. For this, it is best to use boiled water. It is advisable to rinse pickled leaves with cool water, fresh leaves with hot water. This is necessary so that they become softer and more elastic, and do not tear when wrapping minced meat in them.
Dolma is stewed in a thick-bottomed bowl for quite a long time, but the rice, if it is not boiled first, may still remain hard. Therefore, before combining with minced meat, the rice is boiled at least until half cooked.
If you don't know which type of rice to choose, opt for short-grain rice.

Armenian dolma should be served with a fermented milk product mixed with crushed garlic. This product can be yogurt, sour cream, unsweetened yogurt.

Armenian dolma recipe

lamb ribs – 1 kg;
beef pulp – 0.5 kg;
tail fat – 100 g;
onions – 0.2 kg;
rice cereal – 150 g;
grape leaves - 0.5 kg;
tomatoes – 1 kg;
fresh basil – 30 g;
fresh cilantro – 30 g;
fresh mint – 30 g;
vegetable oil - how much will be needed;
salt, ground black pepper - to taste.

Wash the lamb. Dry it with paper napkins. Cut into pieces so that there is a bone in each. If the ribs are large, chop each one in half with a hatchet. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Additionally, you can use dried herbs, selected to your taste. In order not to disturb the harmony, you can take the same herbs that will be used fresh.
Sort the rice, rinse and cook, adding a glass of water. When the water has partially boiled away and partially been absorbed into the rice, it will be brought to just the right degree of readiness.
Wash the beef and grind it through a meat grinder along with the fat. If you use purchased minced meat, then the fat can be chopped separately and then combined with the minced meat. You can cope with this task without a meat grinder. Freeze the fat and grate it. It is also possible to use a blender.
Salt and pepper the minced meat to taste, mix with rice.
Peel the onion. Cut it into small pieces. Add to the minced meat and knead it thoroughly.
Wash and dry the grape leaves. Cut off their cuttings and other rough areas. Place a grape leaf in front of you, matte side up. Place a spoonful of minced meat in the center of the leaf, right above where the stalk used to be. Fold the bottom edges overlapping towards the center. Fold the sides of the sheet towards the center. Roll the sheet to make a minced meat roll.
Wash the tomatoes. Make a cross-shaped cut on each vegetable. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool by placing briefly in cold water. Clean.
Cut half the tomatoes into slices, rub the rest through a sieve or chop in a blender.
Pour oil into the cauldron. When it boils, fry the ribs in it until golden brown, reduce the heat. If you have grape leaves left over, you can spread them over the lamb ribs.
Place dolma on the ribs.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs, first chopping them coarsely with a knife.
Place the tomato pieces on top.
Dilute the tomato puree with water and pour this mixture into the cauldron. The liquid should be approximately two fingers above the dolma.
Cover the cauldron with a lid and simmer the dolma in grape leaves for an hour or a little more, depending on the size of the ribs.

Divide the dolma among plates. Place several ribs nearby. Pour over the sauce in which the dolma was stewed. Serve sour cream or yogurt separately. They are best mixed with chopped garlic.

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.

Dolma- a traditional meat dish of Transcaucasia, the peoples of Asia and the Balkan Peninsula. It is noteworthy that just recently, in December 2017, the tradition of preparing dolma in Azerbaijan was recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible heritage of humanity; you must agree, this is a powerful argument to prepare this popular dish. Dolma is a stuffing of meat and rice wrapped in grape leaves. Essentially, these are the same cabbage rolls, but with more greens and without tomato dressing. Dolma is prepared from lamb meat, but there are recipes for preparing this dish from a mixture of ground beef and pork. Young leaves of white grape varieties are used in dolma; they can be prepared for future use during the season or you can buy canned leaves in the store. Large, mature leaves are usually not used, as they become tough and tasteless. Dolma is served with sour cream or garlic sauce. How to prepare dolma at home, see step-by-step preparation of dolma with photos on our website.

Ingredients for preparing dolma in grape leaves with minced meat

Step-by-step preparation of dolma in grape leaves with photos

Rinse the rice several times, add 200 g of water and put on fire. Add 1 tsp. butter. After boiling, boil it for about 5 minutes.
Fry the diced onions in butter for 3-4 minutes, then add the cooked rice, stir, simmer everything together for 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Cool.
Add finely chopped cilantro, cooled rice and onions to the minced meat. Salt and pepper the minced meat to taste.
Place a few grape leaves on the bottom of the pan. You can use either leaves that are too small or those that are torn.
Place a leaf on a cutting board and spread the filling on the wide part.
Wrap with a roll, then the sides, and again with a roll. Wrap tightly so that the dolma does not unwind.
Place the rolls tightly together on the bottom of the pan.
Place another layer of leaves on top and fill with water or broth so that the liquid covers the dolma, but not higher.
Cover the dolmas with a flat plate to prevent them from floating.
Place on the fire, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the dolma for about 1 hour until fully cooked.
To prepare the sauce, mix sour cream with crushed garlic and finely chopped dill.
It is advisable that the sour cream be full-fat, so the sauce will turn out thick. Azerbaijanis also prepare a sauce from kefir and garlic and pour it over dolma.