Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves) is a traditional Azerbaijani recipe for the national dish of grape leaves stuffed with a blend of minced lam, grated onions, rice and herbs that are boiled in water and ghee. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Azerbaijani version of: Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolma).
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Ingredients:
3 tbsp ghee
Approximately 100 smallish grape leaves
1-2 cloves of garlic
200–300g plain yoghurt
Stuffing:
500g minced lamb
1 or 2 onions, grated (depends on size)
100g rinsed white rice
15g fresh coriander, chopped
15g fresh dill, chopped
15g fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Method:
Mix all the stuffing ingredients thoroughly (best done by hand) and set aside to rest while you prepare the vine leaves.
Next, if using fresh leaves, blanch them in small batches for about 90 seconds in boiling water. This will make them softer and more pliable. Let them dry a bit and cut off the stems.
Take a medium saucepan and put some leaves in a single layer on the base of the pan.
Now, start wrapping your dolma. Take a leaf and place it shiny side down on the palm of your hand.
Place a small amount of stuffing at the stem end of the leaf. Fold the top down over the stuffing, then the sides, and roll up tightly to create a cylindrical bundle about one 3cm in diameter.
Arrange your stuffed leaves seam side down on the bottom of the saucepan, fitting snuggly as you go, to build up several layers.
When finished, put some ghee on top and pour in some water. It should come up about halfway up the stack of dolma. Place a small ovenproof plate on top of the dolma to prevent the leaves from opening, then cover the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for approximately 90 minutes. By then, the stuffing should be cooked through, the leaves should be tender, with only a small amount of liquid left in the pan.
Serve your dolma with garlicky yoghurt sauce (blitz together the garlic cloves with the yogurt, or crush them and mix well by hand).
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