Greek dolma filled with minced lamb and rice
Dolma is a filled vegetable. For the preparation of dolma, various vegetables can be used – tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, zucchini, onions, and also various leaves. If leaves are filled, the food is called in some languages sarma, which comes from the Turkish language and should mean wrapping it up. Dolma is a classic food in the Balkan countries, Turkey, the Middle East, Arab countries. Dolma varieties wrapped in leaves are usually made from cabbage, rhubarb, or grape leaves. The names of this meal or rolls vary widely, depending on the country in which they are made.
The fillings may be vegetable and may also contain meat. I taste this food for the first time many years ago in a beachfront restaurant on the island of Spetses, Greece. The rolls of grape leaves were filled with minced lamb, rice, and herbs. I have carried some of these flavors with me and now tried to recall that memory.
I made rolls of grape leaves from the excellent minced lamb Kaja brought to me, the rice leftover, fresh parsley, mint, and dill.
Preparation time: 30-45 min preparation, 2 hours preparation
Level: average
Quantity: about 25-30 rolls
Ingredients:
500 g of minced lamb or any other minced meat
7-8 heaped tablespoons of cooked long-grain rice
One medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
A handful of chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped mint
A handful of chopped fresh dill
Salt and black pepper for seasoning
1 jar of canned grape leaves (these can be obtained from the department store, but can also be used homegrown leaves.
1 lemon
Preparation:
1. Remove the stems from the fresh grape leaves and pour them over the boiling water. If marinated/salted leaves are used take grape leaves out of the jar into the warm water so that they separate from each other.
2. Prepare the filling. Chop the parsley, dill, onion, garlic, and mint finely, mix the minced meat, rice, and chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper.
3. Place the grape leaf on a wet cutting board, lift a teaspoon of the filling onto the grape leaf, wrap the filling in the leaf so that a packet of grape leaf forms.
4. Fill in all the grape leaves in the same way. Place them next to each other in a thick-bottomed soup pot. When one layer is full, store another layer on top of it, and so on.
5. Cut 3-4 slices of lemon and place them on top of the finished rolls. Cover everything with a heat-resistant bowl and pour over water so that the rolls are all covered.
6. Close the pot with a lid and simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Carefully remove the bowl. Hot steam may release under the bowl, so be careful.
7. Remove the lemons and put the finished rolls onto the serving tray. Serve either hot or hot. Add a couple of lemon sectors, to squeeze the juice onto the dolma rolls.
Ready !!
