How to cook dolma from grape leaves according to Armenian recipe?

Dolma or Tolma - this is the name of the national Armenian dish, which has a centuries-old history. This dish is made from minced meat and grape leaves. Everyone loves it in Armenia from small to large, and probably there will not be an Armenian mistress who could not cook dolma. And all the households believe that it is better than their mother or grandmother that nobody in the world can cook this dish so deliciously. Remember the episode from the film "Mimino" in which Khachikyan (Frunzik) says Mimino (Kikabidze): "Roller jan, we'll go to my Dilijan, my mom will cook a crowd. Real jam!"? How to cook dolma from grape leaves according to the recipe, which for thousands of years is passed from mouth to mouth in Armenia? 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 really gentle and tasty.

Preparation of vine leaves for dolma

In Armenia, a "dolma" is also called a dish, which we call "cabbage rolls", and with them are stuffed with meat vegetables stuffed with meat: eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. All this is poured with tomato sauce and stewed over low heat. However, the most cultic dolma is that which is prepared with grape leaves. Of course, the most convenient time for such a dish is the beginning of June. It is then that the vine leaves blossom. Choose the most light (dark green will be a bit stiff) the size of a woman's palm. Before the preparation of the dolma, the leaves are lowered into boiling water for 2-3 minutes, carefully removed and kept under cold water. In Armenia this dish is accepted all the year round. You probably will be surprised and think: "How to cook dolma from grape leaves in winter, if they fall in the fall, like everyone else?" Armenian housewives found a way out of this situation. They are stocked with a large number of grape leaves and canned for the winter as follows:

1. You need to take a half-liter jar, wash it thoroughly and dry it.

2. Wipe the grape leaves, lay them on a paper towel so that the moisture is absorbed.

3. Fold them in piles of 10-15 pieces and wrap with a tube, each of which can be tied with threads so that it does not unwind.

4. Place them in a vertical position in the jar and pour salted boiled water (1 liter of water 1 liter of salt).

5. Sterilize for 8-10 minutes.

Preparation of dolma in Armenian

Required products:

• Bold ground beef (you can use pork) - 1 kg.
• Round rice - 100 g.
• Onions - 3 pcs.
• Dried or fresh basil and rosemary.
• Black and red pepper, salt.
• Butter - 50 g.
• Preserved grape leaves - 1 half-liter can.

For sauce:

• Matzoni (curdled milk) - 200 g.
• Garlic - 1 clove.

Cooking method

Many viewers after watching the movie "Mimino" probably interested in the question of how to prepare Dolma from the grape leaves, which is described by "Rubik jan". Nevertheless, many people think that this is a very difficult dish, and for this special skills are needed. There is nothing difficult to create this dish, but if you still decided to cook it, you need to be patient.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. In the mince add rice and a little water or meat broth, ground onion, fresh or dried greens, spices, salt, stir well and let lie down in a cool place for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare the grape leaves. If you use canned, then you need to drain the water, remove the thread from the tubes and disassemble them.

3. Take one leaf, lay on a plate with a wide part up. Wrap dolma like pancakes. We put 1 spoonful of minced meat in the center of the sheet, we cover from both sides, and then turn into a tight tube. We put the dolma on the bottom of the pot in a circle, very tightly to each other. From above as a press put an inverted plate. Fill with boiling water so that the water level for 1 finger exceeds the dolma.

4. Pour the saucepan on slow fire for 40-50 minutes. After the water boils, put a piece of butter, and try the broth, if necessary, salt to taste.

Innings

A hot dolma is served with a sauce made from matzoni and garlic. This dish is a must on the New Year's table in Armenia. Now you also know how to prepare dolma from grape leaves, and you can surprise your guests and loved ones on New Year's Eve.