Dolma
Dolmas were a big part of my childhood. They were served at almost every family get together at Grandma Era’s house. There are different variations of how you can make them, but this is how my family makes them. They do take about 2 hours to cook and about 40 minutes to prepare and roll so keep that in mind when you are planning to make them. They do well after being refrigerated so I recommend making them the day before you want to serve them. We always served dolmas with plain yogurt and rice. I got my grape leaves (Orlando brand) at the local Mediterranean mart. The lighter the leaves, the younger and more tender they are, that’s what you are looking for. For cooking, you will need a large pot and something to keep the dolmas from touching the simmering water. My grandma sometimes used an inverted plate in the bottom of the pot to stack the dolmas on, but I used a steamer basket (linked below). I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients (Makes ~25-30 dolmas):
1 lb. raw ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bunch parley, chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup cooked rice
1-2 Tbs fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried), optional
1-2 Tbs fresh tarragon (or 1 tsp dried), optional
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
fresh or preserved grape leaves, rinsed
Instructions:
Start by rinsing and drying your grape leaves.
Prepare your large pot with about 1/2-1 cup water in the bottom. Then place an inverted plate or steamer basket on top of the water where you will place your dolmas. You do not want the water touching the dolmas.
Combine meat with the reminder of the ingredients (except grape leaves). Mix until well combined.
To wrap the dolmas, put the side of the leaf with the veins facing you so that is on the inside of the dolma when rolled. Roll it like a burrito to cover all the meat.
Put the wrapped ends down in your large pot. Pack very closely together and stack if needed.
Simmer on low heat for about 2 hours until leaves are tender and meat is fully cooked (internal temp 160 degrees F).
Serve or let cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days before serving.
Recommend serving with plain whole milk yogurt and rice.
Tools I love and recommend for this recipe (Affiliate links):
I am so excited for you to try this recipe! If you post a picture, please tag me @RachelMasterKitchen and Hashtag #Rachel.Master.Kitchen on instagram!
