Stuffed Vine Leaves
Stuffed vine leaves (dolma) are rich and tasty dish. Make them for a special occasion, or just add a twist to your everyday menu. Of course, this dish will require some fuss, but it’s worth the effort. Stuffed vine leaves supply many nutrients our body needs. As a stuffing, meat, rice and vegetables work together to create a terrific taste. Thin vine leaves give the dish special and unique flavor and they become so tender when boiled.
Ingredients for Stuffed Vine Leaves
1 lb (0.5 kg) meat
100 g lard
200 g rice
1 carrot
2 tomatoes
3 tablespoons adjika or any sweet-and-sour sauce.
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
Parsley or fennel to taste
Spices and salt to taste
Vine leaves
1 cup (200 ml ) broth
3 tablespoons sour cream
Ingredients for Stuffed Vine Leaves
Recipe of Stuffed Vine Leaves
- Wash rice and soak in cold water for 20-30 minutes.
- If you have fresh vine leaves, cover them with hot salted water and let stand for 15 minutes.
- If you have pickled vine leaves, wash them.
- Cut lard into small pieces and melt in a frying pan until it turns into cracklings.
- Then add finely chopped onion and sauté until golden.
- Grate carrot coarsely, combine with onion and fry together.
- Then add chopped tomatoes, garlic, adjika and tomato paste.
- Now put finely chopped meat and cook everything together for 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chopped greens, season with spices to taste and turn the heat off.
- Mix everything well, add soaked rice and some salt.
- Tip ½ cup (100 ml) of water into a frying pan and simmer over very low heat until rice is half-done. Rice should be well-swelled out but hard at the core.
- Stuffing should be well-mixed.
- Place some stuffing on one half of each vine leave, roll up and fold the sides in.
- Take thick-bottomed pan.
- Line the bottom with vine leaves, place stuffed leaves in tight rows and cover with a layer of vine leaves.
- Pour in enough broth mixed with sour cream (or use salted water) to cover stuffed leaves.
- Cover and simmer over very low heat for 40-50 minutes.
- Serve hot with sour cream or mayo.
Stuffed Vine Leaves
