Dolma by azerbaijani boy

Passport & Plate - Stuffed vine leaves(Yarpag dolmasi)

Azerbaijan | Wednesday, March 12, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
150 g/6 oz vine leaves
500 g/1 lb 4 oz minced lamb or 250 g/10 oz minced lamb and 250 g/10 oz minced beef
200 g/8 oz onion
Salt & pepper
1/2 tspn turmeric
1/2 tspn cinnamon
Fresh herbs – coriander, dill, mint and tarragon
50 g/2 oz short-grain riced
50 g/2 oz chickpeas (optional)
80 g/3.2 oz lamb fat (traditional) or butter (for a lighter filling)

 

How to prepare this recipe
Take the butter out of the fridge so it will be soft enough to mix in.
If using fresh herbs, wash and chop finely.
Wash and rinse the rice but do not cook in advance.
If you are using chickpeas, cook them in advance and halve the cooked peas.
Mix the mince and chopped onion with your hands.
Add the rice, chopped herbs or dried spices, salt & pepper, chickpeas and lamb fat or butter. Mix thoroughly.
If using fresh vine leaves, wash and parboil. If using bottled vine leaves, put them in a large bowl, add hot water and leave for two to three minutes to soften. Strain the leaves.
Take a vine leaf, place a dollop of mince in the middle and fold the corners of the leaf down and then up into a ball.
Place the dolma in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover the bottom of the pan with dolma and then add subsequent layers.
Place an inverted dessert plate or saucer on top of the dolma and weigh down with a heavy object, such as a stone. This helps to stop the dolma unwrapping during cooking. Add water to the pan to the level of the plate.
Bring the saucepan to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for one to one and a half hours until the meat and rice are cooked.
To check the level of seasoning during cooking, dip a piece of bread into the liquid in the pan and taste.
Dolma are served with yoghurt mixed with finely chopped garlic and fresh bread.

 

The story behind this recipe
When someone mentions the word "dolma", stuffed grape leaves usually come to mind. But there are many other vegetables that Azerbaijanis stuff including eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and quince. On rare occasions, you'll even find stuffed potatoes, onions and cucumbers.

Eggplant dolma is probably the most favorite, especially in the summer, when it is widely available. You'll find dolmas served at nearly every special occasion, often in a colorful trio combination: red tomatoes, green bell peppers and purple eggplant.

What's in the stuffing? Rice and herbs such as coriander, mint and dill are the fundamental ingredients. Often onions and minced meat-lamb, veal or beef-are added to the mixture. The dish is allowed to simmer for several hours in its own juices. Minced garlic and yogurt are served as accompaniments. In Southern Azerbaijan (in Iran), yellow split peas and spices like turmeric and pepper are often part of the mixture.
Dolma is a verbal noun of the Turkish verb dolmak, 'to be stuffed', and means 'stuffed (thing)'.[2][3] [4] Dolma is a stuffed vegetable, that is, a vegetable that is hollowed out and filled with stuffing. This applies to zucchini, tomato, pepper, eggplant, and the like; stuffed mackerel, squid, and mussel are also called dolma.