Caucasian-style Dolma

Dolma is a Middle Eastern dish found in Caucasian and Balkan cultures.

The name of this dish is Turkish and translates to "stuffed". As is often the case with famous dishes, many peoples claim ownership of it. Our "sarmale" come from the Turkish "sarma," which is de facto like dolma, but can also be stuffed with sweet ingredients – such as nuts and dried fruits, for example.

The recipe is borrowed from an Armenian family where I first tasted these different stuffed grape leaves, and I’ve added some touches to my liking. I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients (estimated amounts):

• one cup of rice
• about 30 vine leaves
• one small shallot onion
• half a bunch of parsley
• 6 sprigs of mint
• 8 dried plums
• 8 walnuts
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 250 grams of beef fillet
• 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
• half a lemon

Feel free to add other dried fruits or nuts that you like.

Method of preparation:

1. Finely chop the beef fillet, onion, parsley, mint, sun-dried tomatoes, plums, and walnuts.
2. Mix all the ingredients with the tomato paste and add the juice from half a lemon.
3. Briefly boil the vine leaves and roll our dolma into tube shapes.
4. Line the bottom of the pot with a layer of leaves, arrange the dolma on top, place a few lemon slices and 2 bell peppers (if you have them) over them.
5. Cover the dolma with a plate and pour water until it reaches the plate you covered it with.
6. Simmer over medium heat for one hour with the lid semi-open.

Bon Appétit!