Dolma with Ground Beef in Grape Leaves

Ingredients

• 600 g ground beef
• 40 brined grape leaves (40–50 leaves; torn or imperfect leaves can be used to line the bottom of the pot)
• 5 tbsp rice (5–6 tbsp; uncooked rice)
• 4 onion (4–5 onions)
• herbs (any kind; the author uses dill for the filling)
• dried basil (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• ground black pepper (to taste)
• 3 tbsp 15% sour cream (for the sauce)
• herbs (any kind, for the sauce)
• 2 garlic (cloves, for the sauce)
• salt (to taste, for the sauce)
• water (enough to come level with the dolma)

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the brined grape leaves thoroughly. Drain and shake off any excess moisture.

2. 2

   Finely chop the onion in a blender.

3. 3

   Add the chopped onion to the ground beef.

4. 4

   Add the herbs, rice, dried basil, salt, and ground black pepper to the beef. Mix the filling.

5. 5

   Arrange the grape leaves on a work surface with the smooth side down and the pronounced veins facing up.

6. 6

   Place a small amount of the filling in the center of each leaf.

7. 7

   Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, then tightly roll the leaf into a cylinder, similar to a cabbage roll. Wrap the remaining dolma in the same way.

8. 8

   Line the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot with 1–2 layers of grape leaves. Torn or imperfect leaves can be used for this.

9. 9

   Arrange the dolma tightly in the pot, seam-side down. Layer them if necessary.

10. 10

    Pour in enough water to come level with the dolma. Cover the top with a plate and place a weight on it so the leaves do not unfold during cooking.

11. 11

    Place the pot over heat and bring to a boil.

12. 12

    Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 1 hour at a very gentle simmer.

13. 13

    Remove the finished dolma from the heat and let it rest for approximately 10 minutes.

14. 14

    For the sauce, mix the sour cream with the herbs, minced garlic, and salt.

Notes

The source does not describe the method for preparing the sauce separately; it only lists its ingredients, so mixing the sauce ingredients is the minimum necessary step. The amount of water is not specified—it should be added until it comes level with the dolma.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• Eastern cuisine
• dolma
• stewed dish
• beef
• with rice
• served with sauce