Dolma from grape leaves in Azerbaijani. Step-by-step photo recipe for making real dolma in azerbaijani style with grape leaves at home

So where to start the story about dolma? Probably because dolma exists in the traditional cuisine of not only Azerbaijan, but also Georgia, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Trutsia and the Balkan peoples.

The main problem in making dolma is finding good grape leaves. Both pickled leaves and fresh ones are used. The main thing is that they are thin and soft. Traditionally, the leaves of the agshany and karashany varieties are used.

You will need:

• lamb - 1 kg;
• fat tail fat (if not at all, you can add butter);
• grape leaves - 300 g;
• round rice - 1 cup;
• onions - 5 small onions;
• mint - a small bunch;
• cilantro / parsley;
• salt pepper.

For kitchen utensils, you will need a saucepan and two slightly smaller plates.

Dolma: photorecipe

1. Making minced meat. Previously, I did not really understand why to make minced meat on my own, if you can buy it. But this really changes the taste, so the game is worth the candle.

What portion of lamb is best for dolma? Of course, the back of the leg with a fat tail.

In general, we drive the lamb through a meat grinder, add finely chopped onions and herbs. The classic Azerbaijani dolma recipe uses cilantro, but if you don't like cilantro, add parsley. Season with a little salt. You need to be careful with salt, because pickled leaves are already salty and all the salt will not wash out of them.

After kneading the minced meat, pour half a glass of warm water into it and mash. Minced dolma should be fatty and plastic.

The last to add to the minced meat is the washed round rice. If dolma is prepared from other meat (chicken or turkey), then the rice can be steamed slightly.

2. Soak the grape leaves in cold water, rinse them under the tap, they should not be left with white salt deposits.

3. Now, we put a plate on the bottom of the pan, I used it from tempered glass - it did not burst even on the fire. But just in case, take the one you don't mind. This is done so that the dolma does not burn. It will also help you not to turn the bottom row of dolma into mush.

4. Wrapping dolma is a special art that gives only with experience. I got some squares of different sizes, but this did not spoil the taste at all. You need to put the cape on the inside of the sheet. Before we wrap DO NOT pour boiling water over the leavesas it is sometimes recommended. The leaf will instantly give all its taste to the water.

The classic dolma is wrapped like this:

5. Place dolma in layers on a plate, then pour a glass of water (200 ml) into a saucepan and press down on top with another plate.

6. Ideally, Azerbaijani dolma is cooked on fire, then it turns out to be much tastier. But it is also possible on the stove at medium or low temperatures.

Lamb dolma is cooked for about 30 minutes.

Dolma sauce

Dolma is most often served on a platter, and it is served separately with broth and sauce of sour cream and garlic or yogurt with garlic and herbs

Bon Appetit!

This name comes from the Turkish verb "dolmak", which means "to be stuffed." This is a whole group of dishes made from stuffed vegetables or leaves, recipes for which appeared in the kitchens of the former Ottoman Empire and its environs.

Today, this dish symbolizes Greek and Turkish cuisine, and can also be found in the Balkans, the Caucasus, along the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa and the Western Mediterranean.

Dolma is widespread in Azerbaijan and Armenia, where it is customary to cook it with grape or wild mulberry leaves. However, there are recipes with chard leaves, cabbage, artichoke, potatoes, eggplants, onions, zucchini, bell pepper, beets, as well as figs and dried apricots.

Azerbaijani national dish

As noted above, the most famous recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani is using a grape leaf. The filling can include meat or vegetables. The meat dish is usually served warm or hot, often with a sauce; the vegetarian version is usually eaten cold. Both types are often eaten with yogurt and garlic.

The Azerbaijani dish dolma is not just stuffed grape leaves. To prepare this dish, people also start zucchini, eggplant, tomato or cabbage. Traditionally, chopped lamb, lamb and / or beef, rice, onions and herbs are used as the filling.

The Azerbaijani dolma recipe includes four varieties:

• from eggplant,
• from sweet pepper,
• from tomato,
• from a grape leaf.

It is impossible to imagine a festive table in Azerbaijan without this food. Dolma is so popular that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of this country is currently deciding whether to add information about it to the UNESCO lists as a culinary tradition of Azerbaijan, which could turn into a world cultural intangible heritage.

How to prepare this dish

Dolma from grape leaves in Azerbaijani is simple to prepare. For her you will need:

• 500 grams of lamb or beef,
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup rice
• 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
• 1 small bunch of dill, chopped
• 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 1 spoon teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon of tea pepper
• 65 fresh grape leaves (or canned)
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 glass of water
• garlic yogurt (1/2 cup plain yogurt mixed with 2 garlic cloves, minced)

Cooking process

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, onion, rice, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and knead vigorously for 5 minutes.

If using fresh grape leaves, wash 10 in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. This will soften them and make rolling easier. Cut off the stems and hard parts.

If using canned leaves, place them in a large colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. If they are too thick, blanch in boiling water just like fresh, but only for one minute, then drain.

Place the grape leaf, shiny side down, on a board or palm, and place 1 teaspoon of the filling at the base of the stem. Fold the bottom end of the sheet, then fold the sides over the filling and roll into a roll. Repeat this for all leaves. Then place the pieces in a high-edged skillet or pot, close together. You can lay them in multiple layers if needed. If using fresh grape leaves, sprinkle a little salt between each layer. Pour melted butter on top and add water.

If necessary, place a small lid or plate on top of the dolma to hold the items tightly and prevent them from opening. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until leaves are tender.

Dolma recipe in Azerbaijani: second option

There are many varieties of this dish, including among the classic ones. The recipe below is a denser and more fatty meal than the first option. For him you will need:

• 150 grams,
• 500 grams of minced meat from a mixture of lamb and beef (in a 1: 1 ratio),
• 200 grams of onions
• salt and pepper,
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• fresh herbs - coriander, dill, mint and tarragon,
• 50 grams of round grain rice,
• 50 grams of chickpeas,
• 80 grams of lamb fat.

How to do it?

How to cook Azerbaijani dolma in this way? Remove the fat from the refrigerator to make it soft enough.

If using fresh herbs, rinse and chop finely. Wash the rice, but don't cook it beforehand. In turn, the chickpeas must be boiled beforehand, and then cut each pea into two halves.

Combine the minced meat and chopped onions with your hands. Add rice, chopped herbs and dried spices, salt and pepper, chickpeas and fat. Mix thoroughly.

If using fresh grape leaves, wash and dry them. If using canned ones, place them in a large bowl, add hot water and let sit for 2-3 minutes to soften. Strain the leaves.

Take a sheet, place a piece of minced meat in the middle and fold the corners down, then lift up and roll into a ball. Repeat this with each sheet.

Place the dolma in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place an inverted dessert plate or saucer on top of the blanks and place a heavy object, such as a stone, on top. This helps to stop the dolma from unrolling during cooking. Add water to the pan at the food level.

Bring to a boil. Turn the heat on and simmer for one to an hour and a half until the meat and rice are cooked through. To check for sufficient salt and seasoning while cooking, dip a piece of bread into the liquid in a saucepan and taste.

The dish is served with yogurt mixed with finely chopped garlic and fresh bread.

Azerbaijani-style vegetable dolma

Sometimes meat is not used and the leaves of cabbage or grapes are filled with vegetable filling. This dish is called "naked dolma". To do it, you will need:

• 200 grams of rice
• 4 onions,
• 200 grams of chestnuts,
• 120 grams of butter,
• 200 grams of tomatoes or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste,
• 80 grams or 1 bunch of coriander
• 200 grams of yogurt
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Summer dolma in Azerbaijani is prepared as follows. Chop the onion and herbs. Wash the rice. Add peeled and chopped chestnuts, tomatoes (tomato paste), oil, pepper and salt. Onions, herbs and rice and stir well. Boil the grape leaves in boiling water, peel them off and wrap each of them in a square shape around the ball of filling. Place the dolma in a saucepan, add water, cover with a plate and simmer for 1 hour.

Serve this dish sprinkled with cinnamon, along with yoghurt mixed with finely chopped garlic.

Fish option

The Azerbaijani dolma recipe may involve the use of not only meat and vegetables, but also fish. For this version of the dish, you will need:

• 400 grams of any fish fillet,
• 40 grams of onions
• 180 grams of grape leaves
• 80 grams of coriander,
• 200 grams of yogurt
• salt and pepper.

Peel and chop the fish (preferably omul or pike perch), then mix with salt, pepper, finely chopped onions and coriander. Remove stems from grape leaves and dip them in hot water for a minute. Wrap about 25-30 grams of filling in each sheet and place in a saucepan. Pour in the fish heads and fins broth and simmer until tender. Serve with yogurt in a separate bowl.

Option with quince

Another authentic Azerbaijani-style dolma recipe - using quince as a base. For him you need:

• 400 grams of minced lamb / mutton,
• 1600 grams of quince,
• 80 grams of melted butter
• 100 grams of chestnuts,
• 50 grams of dill,
• 20 grams of sugar
• salt.

Add salt, dill and peeled chestnuts to the minced meat and sauté in oil. Cut out the centers of the quince, fill the fruits with the filling. Place in a saucepan, pour over the stock from minced meat, and simmer until the dish is cooked.

Spicy dolma is a unique delicacy that belongs to Azerbaijani cuisine. Usually the dish is prepared from minced meat, which is carefully wrapped in grape leaves. An oriental flavor can be given to it by nuts, herbs, all kinds of spices and cereals, which can also be added to dolma. Such an analogue of cabbage rolls familiar to us attracts with its rich and deep taste. After all, young grape leaves give the meat a special piquant flavor. A delicate and hearty oriental dish can be made for an ordinary dinner or a festive table.

Cooking time - 3 hours.

Servings Per Container - 15-20

Ingredients

• rice - 120-160 g;
• ground beef - 550-580 g;
• dill - 1-1 1/2 bunch;
• large onion-turnip - 1 pc .;
• spices to taste;
• grape leaves - as needed.

How to cook dolma in Azerbaijani

The proposed recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani is actually quite simple. Yes, it will take a lot of time to prepare the dish, since the work is painstaking. But the treat is worth it! Plain step by step recipe with a photo will help novice culinary specialists to avoid mistakes.

1. So, first you need to prepare all the necessary ingredients.

The first step is to boil the rice. The water is drained from the cereal, and the product itself must be cooled.

Now we need to do the minced meat. Scrolled meat should be transferred to a separate bowl. To it are added spices, finely chopped dill, rice and onions, previously chopped in a blender or grated on a fine grater. All components are thoroughly mixed. Better to do it straight with your hands.

Then you need to prepare the grape leaves. From each of them you will need to cut the petioles.

Then each leaf is dipped in boiling water for a couple of minutes.

A little minced meat should be put in the center of each grape harvest.

Then the leaf is wrapped.

Ready-made "twists" should be laid out on the bottom of the pot or pan.

Now dolma is salted and peppery in Azerbaijani style. You can add bay leaves, a few pots of allspice and herbs.

The dish is filled with water and placed on the stove.

On a note! The water should completely cover the workpiece and be approximately 1 cm higher than it.

The delicacy should be brought to a boil and simmered over the fire for about 45-50 minutes.

The finished dish is laid out on plates. It is served with sauce or sour cream.

Video recipes for the preparation of Azerbaijani dolma

Juicy and appetizing Azerbaijani dolma is a real festive dish. It is often prepared from fatty minced lamb, and the meat of a young lamb is used for mincing, which has a less pronounced aroma. If you buy lamb, be sure to smell it before buying. But even in this case, the smell of lamb meat is very easy to deal with - just add chopped mint along with fresh herbs and let the minced meat brew for about 2-3 hours. Mint will neutralize the lamb flavor if you don't like it so much!

Grape leaves are used salted, you can replace them with pickled ones. If you have fresh leaves, boil them in salted water in advance and cool them so that they absorb the brine. Rice can be of any kind, but the main thing is that it does not take too long to cook! Do not forget to add various seasonings and spices: ground paprika (sweet), seasoning for meat, etc.

So, get the ingredients you need ready and start cooking!

Put the minced lamb (ground meat and fat) into a deep container. Peel the onion, rinse and cut into small cubes, add the slices along with the rice to the container.

Add seasoning for meat, ground paprika, salt and ground black pepper.

Chop washed parsley, cilantro or mint and add to the filling. Mix the entire contents of the container thoroughly.

Unroll the grape leaf on a plate. Form a small cutlet out of the filling and place in the middle of the sheet.

Roll the top leaves first, then the middle ones and roll the leaf into a roll.

Thus, wrap the rest of the filling in the leaves.

Place the workpieces in a cauldron or bucket with a non-stick bottom.

Place a saucer or plate on top, pour in warm water, covering the dolma two fingers up with water. Place the cauldron on the stove and boil the dish for about 30 minutes on moderate heat. Many culinary experts recommend pouring dolma tomato juice, but it slows down the cooking process and the rice may not cook in time. It is best to serve the dish afterwards with tomato sauce.

After the specified time, remove the saucer, turn off the heating.

Put Azeri dolma on plates or on a platter, serve with sour cream or thick yogurt, pressing peeled garlic cloves into them.

Enjoy it!

The peoples of Asia Minor have long been famous for the variety of their cuisine. One of the brightest dishes is dolma, which in classical technology is grape leaves stuffed with rice and minced meat.

In our understanding, these are cabbage rolls, in which grape leaves are used instead of cabbage. The dish is extremely tasty and, rest assured, well worth the effort spent on preparing it.

The history of the dish

Dolma is extremely common in the cuisines of the peoples of Transcaucasia, Central and Western Asia, the Balkan Peninsula and even North Africa. All national cuisines have their own special cooking technology and each of them is special in its own way.

The dish belongs to Armenian cuisine, which has long been famous for the best recipes.

The Armenian people claim that they were the discoverers of dolma, and only then, the dish became popular in other national cuisines.

According to the Armenians, this food was extremely common in the court cuisine of the Ottoman Empire, and this is not strange because the recipe is distinguished by its taste and originality.

The benefits and harms of dolma

Grape leaves are widely used in medicine, they are rich in a huge amount of vitamins, trace elements, nutrients, so their benefits are undeniable. With the regular use of dishes based on grape leaves, you can get rid of many ailments, such as migraine, varicose veins.

They are also useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the genitourinary system. Grape leaves enhance immunity and are a natural elixir of youth.

However, people who are overweight, have ulcers, or diabetics are not advised to eat grape leaf dishes. Because, in this case, dolma will harm the body. In any case, you need to consult your doctor.

Complexity and cooking time

Dolma is a rather complex dish, because it involves 4 stages of preparation: preparing the leaves, preparing the filling, wrapping the filling in leaves and stewing directly.

Considering this, we can say that it takes at least two hours to cook dolma. But the hostess can be sure that the time and work spent is worth it. The taste of the dish is spicy and refined at the same time.

Food preparation

The most important step in preparing food is finding the right grape leaves. It is best to buy them salted, but since the leaves are folded, the hostess cannot be sure of their integrity. Before use, such envelopes need to be doused with boiling water to soften the leaves a little.

If fresh leaves are purchased, they must be soaked in salt water for at least 20 minutes and it is imperative that cuttings be cut from each leaf to make them easier to twist.

How to cook dolma

A classic and simple recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls in grape leaves.

Ingredients:

• grape leaves - about 100 pcs;
• pork - 1kg;
• optional bones for broth;
• round rice - ½ cup;
• onion - 4 heads;
• sunflower oil - 50 g;
• a pinch of salt;
• ground black pepper - 1 tsp;
• coriander - ½ teaspoon;
• cilantro - a bunch;
• parsley - a bunch;
• tarragon - less bunch.

This amount of food is calculated for about 20 servings.

Preparation:

The bones must be fried until an appetizing golden brown appears. Fill with water and cook the aromatic broth for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, we are preparing the filling. In the classic technology, the pork should be chopped. Cut two onions into large cubes and fry in sunflower oil. Mix with meat, add rice, chopped herbs, seasonings and mix thoroughly.

From the aesthetic point of view, the most important part of preparing a dish is twisting the envelopes. You need to put the filling on the dull part of the grape leaves. Then, on the sides, fold the leaves and twist them into a tube.

Now you need to fold the dolma into the pan with the seams down. Pour the broth along the edge of the pan and simmer for about an hour.

Approximately, one serving of dolma - 150 grams, accounts for 60 kcal, which is 55% fat, 30% protein and 15% carbohydrates. Nevertheless, the dish is healthy and incredibly tasty.

Cooking options

Since several nations are fighting for the right to be called the discoverers of this dish, there are also several options for preparing the dish: for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Moldovan technology.

Dolma can also be prepared from pickled grape leaves and in a slow cooker. Each of the recipes is unique and has its own unique taste.

Dolma in pickled grape leaves

Ingredients:

• 50 pickled grape leaves;
• 5 kg of minced lamb;
• 5 liters of meat broth;
• 6 tablespoons of coarse rice;
• 5 onions;
• 50 grams of butter;
• 50 ml of vegetable oil;
• fragrant herbs: dill, parsley, cumin;
• spices: salt, ground pepper.

Preparation:

If the meat is on the bones, then you need to separate the pulp from the bones, boil the broth on them, and grind the meat using a meat grinder or blender. Otherwise, any broth can be used.

Fill the rice with boiling water and cover with a lid so that it steamed a little. After 10-15 minutes, filter and add to the meat.

Peel the onion from the chives, rinse it from the remnants of dirt and cut into cubes. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and fry the onions in a mixture of oils until golden brown. Add to the filling.

Fresh herbs must be rinsed under running water and finely chopped. Pour into the filling together with the spices and mix thoroughly.

Put the grape leaves on the work surface so that the smooth side is at the bottom. Put the filling on the center of the sheet and wrap it in an envelope.

Put dolma in a saucepan with a thick bottom seam down, fill with broth, cover and simmer for about an hour. Then the filling will be tender, and the taste of the dish will amaze your guests.

Delicious Armenian dolma with beef

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of beef;
• ½ cup rice
• a tomato;
• bell pepper;
• 50 grape leaves;
• 2 onions;
• a bunch of parsley;
• spices: basil, ground pepper, paprika, salt.

Preparation:

We scald the grape leaves with boiling water, rinse, cut off the veins. The rice is also thoroughly washed.

We wash vegetables and parsley, peel off the tomato. Grind the parsley, and pass all the vegetables, rice and meat through a meat grinder, add spices and mix.

Put the filling on the leaves, wrap the envelopes and simmer over low heat for at least 50 minutes.

Dolma with vegetables and spices will surprise you with its taste.

Azerbaijani dolma with lamb

Ingredients:

• lamb - 0.5 kg;
• grape leaves - 20-30 pcs;
• round rice - 5 tbsp. spoons;
• eggs - 2 pcs;
• onions - 2 pcs;
• greens: cilantro, mint;
• spices: salt, ground pepper.

Preparation:

We clean the meat from the veins and grind it. Chop greens and onions, add to meat, beat eggs, add pre-washed rice and spices, mix.

We wrap the filling in leaves, forming envelopes, put the dolma in a saucepan and simmer for at least an hour.

This technology for cooking dolma is that the filling with the help of an egg is more tender and does not crumble. The dish will certainly surprise the family of the hostess.

Moldavian dolma

Ingredients:

• 30 leaves of grapes;
• ½ kg of meat (lamb, pork, beef);
• 3 onions;
• 50 ml of sunflower oil;
• 1/3 cup rice
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 carrot root;
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Grind the meat, cut the onion and carrots into cubes and simmer all this in sunflower oil until a ruddy shade appears.

We wash the rice, add it to the meat and simmer for another 10 minutes in tomato paste. When the filling has cooled, add chopped herbs, spices and mix.

We spread the leaves with a smooth surface down, apply a fragrant filling, wrap in envelopes and simmer for about 40 minutes. Incredible Moldavian dolma will surprise you with its spicy taste.

Multicooker recipe

Ingredients:

• 5 kg of minced meat;
• 20 leaves of grapes;
• 1 onion;
• 4 tbsp. spoons of rice;
• 50 grams of butter;
• 50 grams of sunflower oil;
• 1 bunch of greens;
• salt and spices to taste.

Preparation:

We wash the rice. We turn on the multicooker, pour in vegetable oil and, in the "frying" mode, fry the chopped onions until golden.

In a small bowl, mix the minced meat, fried onions, rice, spices, chopped herbs and butter.

We spread the filling on the pre-prepared leaves, form envelopes and carefully fold them into the multicooker with the seam down. Fill with hot water to cover the envelopes and turn on the "extinguishing" mode for 1 hour.

Cooking dolma in a multicooker is easy and simple, and most importantly - delicious.

Video recipe

There are several main secrets:

1. To prevent the dish from burning, we put grape leaves on the bottom of the pan or multicooker.
2. We fold the envelopes with the seams down so that they do not unfold during the stewing process.
3. When all the envelopes are in the pot, it is best to secure them by pressing down with a plate. In this case, the filling will not come out of the envelopes during the boiling process.

Dolma is considered one of the simplest and delicious recipes in the world, only young leaves are well suited for a dish. Then the dolma turns out to be tender and melts in your mouth. This dish is suitable for every day and for a festive table.