Lamb & Rice Dolmas

Azerbaijan Stuffed Grape Vine Leafs

Stuffed grape vine leafs are a star in many Middle Eastern menus, including my menu for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This recipe mixes a variety of chopped herbs including dill, parsley, cilantro, and green onions, with crispy onions, rice, yellow split peas, and of course, spiced ground lamb.

The first step to preparing the dish is to cook the rice and peas together. I recommend adding the peas first and giving them a few minutes to cook through on their own, then add the rice to finish cooking.

In a separate pan, fry 3/4 of the onion until crispy, remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, brown your lamb, then again set aside to cool. Once your ingredients are comfortable to handle, mix everything together with the chopped herbs and fragrant spices. Lastly add fresh grated onion for bit and crunch.

Stuffing and Wrapping the Grape Leaves

The best way to attack stuffing and rolling the Dolmas is to setup an assembly station. If using jarred grape leaves, like the kind I found at Shaganappi Grocery, your leaves will likely be packed very tightly together so the first step is to soak the leaves in water to rinse the brine off and help the leaves separate.

Grease a pie plate or casserole dish with butter or cooking spray and line with grape leaves as a base. One by one, pat your leaves dry with a clean dish towel and trim the firm stem off the bottom. I find its easier to roll if the firm vein side is facing me. Place 2 tbsp of filling at the base of the leaf, roll tightly half way, then tuck in sides of the leaf to seal the dolmas like a burrito, and then finish rolling. Pack the dolmas tightly into the pie plate, this recipe will usually fill one layer perfectly.

Before baking, pour over the Azerbaijan style sauce of butter, a little bit of sugar, lemon juice, and saffron water. Cover the pie plate in extra dolma leaves or tin foil. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Enjoy these dolmas with a yogurt sauce, like my Roasted Aubergine & Yogurt Dip.

Lamb & Rice Dolma

Azerbaijan style grape leaf wraps filled with lamb, rice, and herbs.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Formation Lap

Cuisine Azerbaijan

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

Stuffing

• 30 grams dried yellow split peas
• 100 grams arborio
• ¾ onion, sliced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 300 gram ground lamb
• ½ cup parsley, shopped
• ½ cup dill, chopped
• ½ cup tarragon, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ onion, finely grated

Assembly

• 25 large jarred vine leaves
• 30 grams sugar
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 pinch safflower threads
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

 

Stuffing

• Bring a medium saucepot of water to a boil and add the yellow split peas. Boil for 10 minutes. Add the rice and cook for another 5-10, until rice is cooked and peas are almost cooked. Drain and set aside to cool.
• In a frying pan, fry sliced onions in oil until golden. Add the turmeric and season with salt & pepper. Remove onion from the pan and set aside.
• In the same frying pan, add the ground lamb and brown. Drain off the excess fat.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the browned lamb, herbs, fried onions, fresh grated onions, and rice/pea mixture. Add spices and combine into a harmonious mix.

Assembly

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• In a small saucepan, add the butter, sugar, saffron, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar and then set aside.
• For the vine leaves, if using jarred remove the leaves from the jar and place in a bowl of cold water. This will help wash off some of the preserving liquid and separate the leaves from one another. Grease a 9×9 baking dish or pie plate and then line with 4-5 vine leaves to make a base.
• To make the dolmas, lay one leaf onto a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. The leaf should be laid upside down so the firmer side of the stem is facing you. Trim the stem off and any firm parts of the vein. Place a golfball sized amount of filling at the base of the leaf, then fold over the sides and tightly roll into a small cylinder, and repeat.
• Pack the dolmas in the baking tray tightly together, then cover with the butter/sugar sauce. Cover the dolmas with more vine leaves or aluminum foil, then bake at 325°F for about 1 hour. Remove the foil and serve with a cool yogurt dip.
• Dolmas can also be enjoyed cold the following day.

Keyword azerbaijan, dolma, lamb