Dolma is a Middle Eastern dish. In Western countries, it’s equivalent to
stuffed cabbage roll. The origin of the word is from Turkey, which
means the stuffed thing. It’s known to many cultures in different names
and styles. Traditionally it is made from grape leaves.
For the Stuffing:
2 cups rice
1 large onion (finely chopped)
2 tbsp pine nuts
2 tbsp currants
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp dried mint
¾ cup olive oil
1 bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 tsp salt
2 ¾ cups water
For Rolling & Cooking:
1 jar grape leaves or as much as it takes to finish the stuffing above
½ lemon
2 ½ cups water
Stuffing Preparation:
Heat
olive oil and sauté onions until onions are transparent. Add pine nuts
and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the water and let it boil. When the water
boils, add the rice and salt. Mix and cook covered on medium low heat
for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is soft. Turn heat off and add
currants, cinnamon, mint and parsley and cover. Let it sit for 10
minutes. Uncover and mix stuffing. Let it cool.
If you are using a
pickled grape leaves, remove from the jar and run under cold water and
squeeze to let all the water out. Take one grape leaf and place on a
cutting board or well cleaned counter. Follow the rolling process on my
previous post for ‘Stuffed Grape Leaves with Olive Oil’.
Remove
the stem. Place some stuffing on the leaf. Start rolling the grape leaf
by first making one fold forward and then folding both sides in. Keep
rolling forward until the leaf is completely rolled. Place neatly in a
pot.
Pour ½ lemon juice on top. Add water. Place 3-4 small plates
on the leaves to put weight on them so they do not open during the
cooking process. Cover and cook on medium heat until water boils. Reduce
the heat once the water boils and start cooking on low for 45 minutes.
Make sure the water does not dry out before cooking. I always take one
grape leaf and taste it before I decide if the rice inside has cooked or
not. Enjoy at room temperature.
