Dolma or Tolma - this is the name of the national Armenian dish, which has a long history. This dish is made from minced meat and grape leaves. Everyone in Armenia loves him from small to large, and probably there will not be such an Armenian mistress who could not cook dolma. Moreover, all households 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 movie “Mimino” in which Khachikyan (Frunzik) says Mimino (Kikabidze): “Roller Jan, we’ll go to Dilijan to see me, my mother will prepare the dolma. Real jam!"? How to cook dolma from grape leaves according to the recipe, which has been passed on through 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 fat, and the grape leaves are thin and silky. Only in this case the dish will turn out to be truly tender and tasty.
Making grape leaves for dolma
In Armenia, "dolma" is also called a dish, which we call "cabbage rolls", and along with them vegetables stuffed with meat : eggplant, peppers and tomatoes are placed in a pan. All this is poured with tomato sauce and stewed over low heat. However, the most iconic dolma is one that is prepared with grape leaves. Of course, the most convenient time for such a dish is the beginning of June. That is when grape leaves blossom. You need to choose the lightest (dark green will be a little stiff) the size of a female palm. Before preparing dolma leaves are dipped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, carefully removed and kept under cold water. In Armenia, this dish is customary to eat all year round. You will probably be surprised and think: “How to make dolma from grape leaves in winter, if they fall, like everyone else, in the fall?” Armenian mistresses 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.
2. Wash grape leaves, lay on a paper towel so that moisture is absorbed.
3. Fold them in stacks of 10-15 pieces and wrap them in a tube, each of which can be tied with thread so that it does not unwind.
4. Place them in an upright position in a jar and fill with salted boiled water (1 tbsp. 1 liter of salt per 1 liter of water).
5. Sterilize for 8-10 minutes.
Cooking dolma in Armenian
Required Products:
- Fatty ground beef (you can 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.
- Canned grape leaves - 1 half-liter jar.
For the sauce:
- Yogurt (yogurt) - 200 g.
- Garlic - 1 clove.
Cooking method
After watching the film “Mimino,” many viewers were probably interested in the question of how to make dolma from grape leaves, which “Rubik Jan” tells about. Nevertheless, many people think that this is a very complicated dish, and for this special skills are needed. There is nothing difficult to create this dish, but if you still decide to cook it, you need to be patient.
Step-by-step instruction:
1. Add minced rice and a little water or meat broth, ground onion, fresh or dried herbs, spices, salt, stir well and let lie in a cool place for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare grape leaves. If you use canned food, you need to let the water drain, remove the threads from the tubes and disassemble them.
3. Take one leaf, lay on a plate with the wide part up. You need to wrap dolma like pancakes. Put 1 tablespoon of minced meat in the center of the sheet, cover on both sides, and then turn it into a tight tube. We lay the dolma at the bottom of the pan in a circle, very tight to each other. We put an inverted plate on top as a press. Pour boiling water so that the water level by 1 finger exceeds the dolma.
4. We put the pan to simmer for 40-50 minutes. After the water boils, put a piece of oil, and also try the broth, if necessary, salt to taste.
Innings
Hot dolma is served with sauce made from yogurt and garlic. This dish is a must on the New Year's table in Armenia. Now you know how to make dolma from grape leaves, and you can surprise your guests and loved ones on New Year's Eve.