What is dolma?This name comes from the Turkish verb "dolmak", which means "to be stuffed." This is a whole group of dishes from stuffed vegetables or leaves, the recipes of which appeared in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and its environs.
Today, this dish symbolizes the Greek andTurkish cuisine can also be found in the Balkans, in the countries of the Caucasus, on the shores of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa and the Western Mediterranean.
Dolma is widespread in Azerbaijan andArmenia, where it is customary to cook it with grape leaves or wild mulberry. However, there are recipes for chard leaves, cabbage, artichokes, potatoes, eggplants, onions, zucchini, bell peppers, beets, as well as figs and dried apricots.
Azerbaijan national dish
As noted above, the most famousThe recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani style is using grape leaves. The filling may include meat or vegetables. The meat dish is usually served warm or hot, often with a sauce, and the vegetarian option is usually cold. Both species are often eaten with yogurt and garlic.
Azerbaijani dish dolma is not easystuffed grape leaves. To cook this dish, people also start zucchini, eggplant, tomato or cabbage. Traditionally, minced mutton, lamb and / or beef, rice, onions and greens are used as fillings.
The recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani includes four varieties:
- from eggplant,
- from sweet pepper,
- from tomato,
- from grape leaf.
It is impossible to imagine in Azerbaijanfestive table without this dish. Dolma is so popular that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of this country is currently deciding to enter information about it in the UNESCO lists as a culinary tradition of Azerbaijan, which could become a world cultural intangible heritage.
How to cook this dish
Dolma from grape leaves in Azerbaijani style is prepared simply. For her you will need:
- 500 grams of lamb or beef,
- 1 onion, finely chopped,
- 2/3 cup rice
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped finely,
- 1 small bunch of dill, chopped,
- 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped,
- 1 teaspoon teaspoon
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper,
- 65 fresh leaves of grapes (or canned),
- 4 tablespoons melted butter,
- 1/2 cup water
- garlic yogurt (1/2 cup plain yogurt mixed with 2 cloves of garlic, minced).
Cooking process
In a large bowl, mix the ground meat, onion, rice, fresh herbs, salt and pepper and knead vigorously for 5 minutes.
When using fresh grape leaves, rinse 10 of them in a large saucepan with boiling water for 2 minutes. This will soften them and make rolling easier. Cut the stems and hard parts.
Если вы используете консервированные листья, place them in a large colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. If they are too thick, flush in boiling water just like fresh ones, but only for one minute, then drain.
Spread the grape leaf with the shiny side.down on the board or on the palm and place 1 teaspoon of the filling in the base of the stem. Fold the lower end of the sheet, then its sides over the filling and roll the roll. Repeat this with all leaves. Then place the blanks in a high-frying pan or pan, close together. You can put them in several layers if necessary. If you are using fresh grape leaves, sprinkle a little salt between each layer. Pour melted butter over the top and add water.
If necessary, place a small cap.or a plate on top of the dolma to hold the products tightly to prevent them from opening. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the leaves are soft.
Recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani: second version
Существует много разновидностей этого блюда, в including among the classic species. The following recipe is a more dense and fatty foods, compared with the first option. For him you will need:
- 150 grams of grape leaves,
- 500 grams of minced meat from mutton and beef (in a 1: 1 ratio),
- 200 grams of onions,
- salt and pepper,
- 1/2 teaspoon 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 mutton fat.
How to do it?
How to cook Azerbaijani dolma in this way? Remove the fat from the refrigerator so that it becomes soft enough.
If you are using fresh herbs, rinse them andfinely chop. Wash rice, but do not cook it in advance. In turn, chickpeas need to boil beforehand, and then cut each pea into two halves.
Mix the minced meat and chopped onion by hand. Add rice, chopped herbs and dried spices, salt and pepper, chickpeas and fat. Mix thoroughly.
When using fresh grape leaveswash and dry them. If you take canned, put them in a large bowl, add hot water and leave for 2-3 minutes to soften. Strain the leaves.
Take a sheet, put a piece of minced meat in the middle and fold the corners down, and then lift it up and roll it into a ball. Repeat this with each sheet.
Place the dolma in a thick bottom saucepan.Place the inverted dessert plate or saucer on top of the blanks and place a heavy object such as a stone on top. This helps stop dolma deployment during preparation. Add water to the pot by product level.
Bring to a boil.Dip the fire and simmer for one and a half hours until the meat and rice are cooked. To check the adequacy of salt and seasoning while cooking, dip a piece of bread in a liquid in a saucepan and try.
The dish is served with yogurt mixed with chopped garlic and fresh bread.
Vegetable dolma in Azerbaijani
Sometimes the meat is not used, and the leaves of cabbage or grapes are filled with vegetable filling. This dish is called "bare dolma." To make it, you will need:
- 200 grams of rice
- 4 bulbs,
- grape leaves,
- 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 is preparing in Azerbaijaniin the following way. Cut the onions and herbs. Wash rice. Add peeled and chopped chestnuts, tomatoes (tomato paste), butter, pepper and salt. Onions, herbs and rice and mix well. Brew grape leaves in boiling water, clean them from the stems and wrap each of them around a lump of filling with a square shape. 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 yogurt, mixed with finely chopped garlic.
Option with fish
The recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani can imply the use of not only meat and vegetables, but also fish. For this type of 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 orperch), then mix with salt, pepper, finely chopped onion and coriander. Remove the stems from the vine leaves and immerse them in hot water for a minute. Wrap about 25-30 grams of filling on each sheet and place in a saucepan. Pour the broth made from fish heads and fins, and simmer until cooked. Serve with yogurt in a separate bowl.
Option with quince
Another authentic recipe for dolma in Azerbaijani is using quince as a base. For it you need:
- 400 grams of minced lamb / lamb,
- 1600 grams of quince,
- 80 grams of melted butter,
- 100 grams of chestnuts,
- 50 grams of dill,
- 20 grams of sugar
- salt.
Добавьте соль, укроп и очищенные каштаны к minced meat, fry in oil. Cut out the quince from the middle, fill the fruit with the filling. Put in a saucepan, pour broth, selected during roasting minced meat, and simmer until the dish is cooked.
