Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe

Today we are making Stuffed grape leaves or Dolma that have been a part of Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries. It may be a little time-consuming to make, but it is worth it. Dolma means anything stuffed, and there are many variations of Dolma. Some may use bell pepper or eggplant as the shell or wrap it with cabbage or other leaves; this recipe uses grape leaves to wrap around the filling.

Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe

Step 1

Wash the split peas a couple of times until it is dust-free. Then fill half of a suitable bowl with cold water, add split peas and let them soak for 2 hours.

Step 2

After 2 hours, drain the excess water of split peas. Then fill half of a suitable pot with water and bring the water to a boil. Then add the split peas to the pot and let it cook until it becomes tender. You can add a pinch of turmeric to give the split peas a nice golden color. You should check it constantly to remove the foam from it. Then drain the split peas.

Step 3

Wash and rinse the rice a couple of times to eliminate extra starch in the rice.

Step 4

Fill half of a suitable pot with water, put it on heat, and bring the water to a boil. Then parboil the soaked rice in the pot. After 10 minutes, depending on the rice, when it becomes soft outside but a little uncooked in the center, drain the rice, and make it ready to mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Step 5

Meanwhile, cut the meat into small chunks and grind them with a grinder.

Step 6

Wash herbs and drain the excess water. Now transfer them to a tray and chop them coarsely.

Step 7

Peel and coarsely chop the onion, put a pan on the heat and add two tablespoons of oil. Then sauté the onions in oil over medium heat. Let them caramelize gently.

Step 8

Add the minced meat to the pan and sauté until the color of the meat changes.

Step 9

Add salt, ground chili pepper, black pepper, and turmeric to the meat, and sauté them until the aroma of the spices is released. Now add the tomato paste and Stir the mix until it gets darker. You can also add cinnamon and curry to season the Dolma.

Step 10

Add chopped herbs to the meat, and sauté them until their aroma is released. Then add the drained split peas.

Step 11

Add the half-cooked rice to the Dolma ingredients, then stir until the ingredients are combined and uniform.

Step 12

Wash and deseed the prunes and green plums. Dice them into small chunks and add them to the pot along with the rinsed barberry, green plum paste, and verjuice. Let the ingredients cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. Now you can taste the seasoning and add more if needed.

Step 13

Now wash the grape leaves and put them in a suitable pot, then fill the pot with enough boiling water to cover the leaves. Let the leaves stay in the boiling water until they soften and change color. Then put them in a colander to drain the excess water.

Step 14

Place the grape leaves on a tray. Pile a layer of the ingredients on a leaf, roll it up, and tighten it until you hit the end.

Step 15

To prepare the sauce, dissolve powdered chicken broth in boiling water, add verjuice, pomegranate paste, and liquid oil, and stir until the ingredient becomes uniform.

Step 16

Coat the bottom of a suitable pot with some oil and top it with a layer of grape leaves. Place the Dolma in the pot in tight layers. Place some green plums between the layers and pour the sauce over the Dolma.

Step 17

Put a heavy lid on and let it cook on low heat for about an hour or until the sauce is absorbed in the Dolma. They are ready to serve when the sauce thickens up. Plate them in your desired dish and garnish with fried onion and barberry. Enjoy your meal!