Persian Dolmeh - Stuffed Vine Leaves Recipe (Dolmeh Barg e Mo)
Dolma in Turkey and dolmeh in Persia are beloved dishes enjoyed across Egypt and throughout the regions once connected by the Ottoman Empire, including Turkey, Kurdistan, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. While the name simply means “stuffed,” it represents a wide and varied family of dishes. Each region brings its own twist, from the use of fresh herbs like mint in Turkey to different fillings that can include meat, fish, or vegetables, along with distinctive spices and sauces.
Making stuffed vine leaves is something of an art. It’s a skill that, much like shaping tortellini, only really comes with practice and in this case, plenty of vine leaves. I once learned from a Kurdish customer that fresh vine leaves are far superior to the jarred versions you’ll often find in shops. Taking that advice to heart, I eagerly picked a handful from a greenhouse vine… only to realise I had enough for just four dolma. Lesson learned: when it comes to vine leaves, more is definitely more.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a vine, it’s well worth trying your hand at Persian dolmeh using fresh leaves. That said, good quality prepared vine leaves are a perfectly practical option too just don’t make the mistake of buying too few.
The filling itself is wonderfully fragrant and satisfying, typically made with minced meat, rice, lentils, warming spices, and plenty of fresh herbs. If you find yourself with extra filling, it’s perfect for stuffing peppers or aubergines, creating another delicious variation of dolmeh to enjoy another day.
Ingredients List:
• Grape/vine Leaves
• 1/2 lb grams of ground meat (beef or lamb)
• 1 Cup of Rice
• 1 Cup of Yellow Split Pea
• handful of chopped herbs (coriander, parsley, basil, dill/fennel, thyme)
• 1 Big Onion
Persian food is much more delicate in spicing compared to the flavours of India. Turmeric is always present.
• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• Teaspoon Black Pepper
• Teaspoon Paprika or Chilli
that I'd made some time ago see link
Method
Rice
Soak your rice for an hour, you should always do this, then wash till it runs clear and cook to it's nearly done, it should not be too soft. Set aside and allow to cool.
Daal or yellow split peas
Cook to it's nearly done, it should not be soft. Set aside and allow to cool.
Fresh Vine Leaves
Trim off the stalks and drop the leaves into boiling water for a minute or two then turn off the heat and leave to cool. Try a piece of leaf and check it's not still hard. The vine leaves I had were small and young.
A very large handful of finely chopped and mixed herbs (coriander, parsley, basil, dill/fennel, thyme) you could add spring onions, tarragon, savoury, herbs are what you have, dill is often used in Persian food, I used fennel sprigs. Next time I make this I'll double the amount of herbs than shown in the picture.
Mince
Fry chopped onion till clear and slightly brown add mince and brown then add the spices. Garlic is optional, as is adding a knob of butter.
Combine
Add the dal, herbs and rice to the mince and mix. Allow your mixture to cool.
Putting the dolma together.
You put the mixture on the shiny side of the leaf, you will have to combine a few leaves and folding them over is tricky and I think you and I will need endless practice..
Tip find a small plastic cup/top off something/plastic thing that contained something and arrange leaves in it and protruding over the top, fill and fold over, use a teaspoon to pop them out.
Put them in a pan, if you have lots of leaves put them in the bottom of the pan to cover it.
Add liquid to the pan
This Persian dish has a slightly sweet sour sauce which is sugar dissolved in boiling water and some cooking oil
• Half a cup of Cooking Oil
• Half a cup of Rice Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoon of Sugar
Cook
Put the pan on to simmer, then cover and turn down to the lowest heat and cook for forty minutes or so.
This Persian dolmeh dish is absolutely delicious.