With the advent of new, early and winter-hardy grape varieties, planting of this crop is carried out not only in the traditional southern regions of the country for viticulture, but also in the central zone, in the Urals and even in the Siberian region. At the same time, receiving the first harvests of berries, winegrowers discover the benefits of grape leaves, their taste and ways to use them in cooking.
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It is impossible to imagine Armenian, Greek, Bulgarian, Moldavian, Vietnamese and many other national cuisines without grape leaves. At the same time, the most famous dish of grape leaves stuffed with minced meat has become truly international. In addition, young grape leaves are used for stewing and marinades, they are salted, and added to soups and meat stews.
Giving a characteristic aroma and piquancy to the taste of dishes, the leaves themselves are imbued with the aromas of meat, game and vegetables.
However, use in cooking is not the only advantage of the product. Grape leaves are truly beneficial. For example, US doctors, having studied the beneficial properties and contraindications of grape leaves, included this product in the national list of valuable dietary foods (see recipe for dolma in grape leaves).
Main ingredients:
• 1 kg of lamb pulp (you can use pork, turkey, chicken; I don’t recommend beef, it turns out to be a tough dolma); • 100g rice (any rice, quick-cooking); • 200g onions; • 2 bunches of dill (medium size, although the more greens, the juicier and tastier the dolma turns out); • A bunch of cilantro (but if you don’t really like this specific herb, then replace it with a bunch of parsley); • 70g butter. This amount of oil is given based on lamb and pork, which themselves are fatty types of meat. If you take chicken or turkey, you will need 150-200g of oil to make the minced meat more tender. • ½ glass of cold water; • Salt or seasoning to taste; • Young grape leaves.
Armenian dolma, vegetarian
Azerbaijan is not the only republic where they love and know how to cook this dish. Armenia is a worthy competitor to it. For those who like to eat delicious food but take care of their figure, Armenian dolma made from grape leaves without meat is quite suitable. The filling will only include white lettuce onions (2 pieces) and a glass of long-grain rice. You will need to fry the onion until translucent, add rice, a spoonful of tomato paste, salt and pepper and a little water. The frying pan is covered with a lid, and its contents simmer for about twenty minutes. At the end, chopped parsley (about a quarter cup) and dill are added to the filling - just a teaspoon. When the mixture has cooled, it is wrapped in grape leaves and placed in a pan on top of them. Dolma is filled with water with the addition of the juice of one medium-sized lemon and three large spoons of grape seed oil. It can be replaced with olive oil, but it won’t be the same. In a covered vessel, dolma is either stewed or baked in the oven (350 degrees). Both last 20 minutes. This dish is best eaten cold, as an appetizer.
Preparing grape leaves for dolma:
• We sort through the leaves, selecting whole ones, without breaks, and tear off cuttings from them; • Place in a bowl and pour boiling water so that all the leaves are covered with water; • Turn the leaves over several times so that they are evenly washed with hot water and turn from bright green to darker. Look here as shown in the photo. • Pour out the water and let the leaves cool. The leaves become very soft and tender and are ready for further preparation of dolma.
Options for preparing dishes from grape leaves
Grape leaves can be consumed either fresh or pre-processed. Dense and tough foliage is soaked in cool water for a day or doused with boiling water before cooking. And to prepare such a product, salting and freezing are used. If you don’t know what to cook from grape leaves, then different dishes are presented and described below.
Dolma
Grape leaves have long been used to prepare dolma. If you want to pamper yourself, your loved ones or guests with this dish, prepare the following ingredients:
- half a glass of short grain rice;
- 500 g of fresh or prepared grape leaves;
- 450 g each of minced pork and beef;
- three fairly large onions;
- three tbsp. l. tomato paste;
- a large spoon of dried basil;
- a large spoon of dried cilantro (if you have fresh, you can add that too);
- ground hot pepper;
- glass of water;
- salt.
Instructions:
- First you need to tackle the rice. There is no need to cook it, as it will reach the desired state during the preparation of dolma. But rinse it well, otherwise the filling will not be as crumbly as it should be.
- Continue making the filling. Peel the onions and either pass them through a meat grinder or chop them in a blender, but in any case you need to achieve a thick paste or at least very small pieces. Add the onion to the mixed minced meat, add rice and tomato paste, and immediately pepper and salt everything. Mix the mass well.
- If the grape leaves are hard, you can pour boiling water over them or immerse them in hot water for a minute so that they soften and become pliable.
- Prepare a work surface, place the first sheet on it so that the veins are at the top, remove the stems and, if necessary, cut off uneven edges and strongly protruding areas. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the sheet and wrap it up. This bundle can be immediately placed in the pan so that it does not unfold. Do the same with the remaining leaves and filling.
- Having filled the pan with dolma, pour water into it, and cover everything on top with a plate, which should press down all the packages and prevent them from rising.
- After the water boils, reduce the heat and cook the dish for about forty minutes.
- Ready hot dolma can be served with a spicy matsoni sauce with garlic.
Healthy salad
Grape leaves make delicious and light salads. To make one of these, prepare:
- 300 g grape leaves;
- a glass of peeled pine nuts or walnuts;
- a large spoon of honey;
- a couple of tbsp. l. olive oil;
- clove of garlic;
- fresh basil;
- salt.
Instructions:
- After washing, the leaves should be boiled literally for a minute in lightly salted water.
- You can chop the walnuts a little, leave the pine nuts whole.
- Peel the garlic and pass it through a press, or chop it.
- Mix leaves, nuts and garlic, add honey and olive oil. Place basil on top.
- The unusual salad is ready, you can serve it.
Appetizer of cheese and grape leaves
If you prefer appetizing and easy-to-prepare snacks, then this recipe will come to the rescue when guests suddenly arrive or a picnic is planned. Here's what you'll need:
- 400 g cheese, preferably brined;
- 20 grape leaves;
- five large spoons of olive oil;
- three cloves of garlic;
- 70 ml of natural honey (buckwheat is best).
Description of preparation:
- The cheese should be cut into slices about 7-10 millimeters thick. The optimal size is approximately 3x4 cm. Wrap each piece in a grape leaf.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the grape leaves with the cheese wrapped in them on both sides for literally a couple of minutes.
- Prepare a kind of sweet-savory sauce by mixing honey with previously peeled and chopped garlic in any way.
- The appetizer is served hot and always with garlic and honey sauce.
Another snack option
This appetizer is also prepared with the addition of cheese, but in a slightly different way. You will need the following set of ingredients:
- approximately 18 grape leaves;
- three tbsp. l. olive or sunflower oil;
- about 50 g of green onions;
- a bunch of dill;
- 170 g ricotta or feta cheese;
- Art. l. lemon juice;
- salt;
- about 200 g of broth;
- ground hot pepper.
Cooking process:
- If you took fresh leaves, it is advisable to immerse them in boiling salted water for a minute so that they become more elastic and curl easily.
- Chop the onion and fry in olive oil until soft. Mix it (use butter too) with finely chopped dill and cheese, add lemon juice and, if desired, salt. Mix everything until smooth.
- Wrap the filling in grape leaves much like when preparing dolma.
- Place the stuffed parcels in a heat-resistant container, pour in the broth and either place in the oven for ten minutes or simmer on the stove for five minutes.
Leaves for future use
Grape leaves can be stored for the winter. There are many preparation methods, but this one is extremely simple. Here's what you'll need:
- fresh grape leaves;
- water;
- salt.
Description of preparation:
- In two saucepans, bring water to a boil and salt it sufficiently, adding 1.5-2 large spoons or a little less for each liter.
- Place the leaves in stacks of about twenty pieces. Place one pan aside, and let the water in the other boil moderately.
- Just for a few seconds, immerse stacks of leaves in boiling water and immediately remove (you can use a slotted spoon or colander for this).
- Tamp the soft leaves into the jars and pour water from another pan, bringing it to a boil again.
- Close the jars. It is not necessary to sterilize them, but you can do this to make the snack last longer.
The suggested recipes are sure to captivate you and your loved ones, so choose one or use several to prepare interesting dishes.
The actual cooking process itself:
• Look closely at the leaves. They are different on the “front” and “back” sides. On the reverse side, the veins on the leaves are more pronounced, and on the front side they are smoother. We take a grape leaf and place our minced meat on the “wrong” side with a spoon.
• Carefully wrap the leaf in an envelope. Try to make the envelope tight. • Place the resulting envelopes or, as I call them, dolmushki, tightly on the bottom of the pan. We lay them in rows, trying to press the dolmushkas against each other as tightly as possible. • Fill the laid dolmushka with boiling water so that all the dolmushki are under water. Add seasoning or salt. And we press the dolma down with a plate on top to prevent it from opening up and rising up.
• Cook over very low heat for about 0.5 hours. If you doubt whether the dolma is ready, you can take out one dolmush and try cutting it in half with a fork. If this is easy to do, then the dolma is ready! • Matsoni is best served with dolma, but you can also use the more common kefir or sour cream.
Personally, I like to eat dolma with sour cream. Look what I got!!!
Bon appetit!!! I really hope that you try to cook this dish and that you like it!!!
What to cook
There are many specific dishes in the cuisine of the peoples of the world. I use semi-finished products prepared in the warm season to prepare dolma or cabbage rolls.
I'm deviating from the classic recipe. I make dolma not from lamb, but from minced meat, which is in the refrigerator. Sometimes I add more herbs or spices to the filling. I like the combination of sour grape flavor and aromatic parsley and cilantro. As a sauce I use sour cream, mayonnaise, ketchup - depending on my mood. In any case, it turns out very well.
Despite the simplicity of preparing the dish, skill in rolling cabbage rolls is required. Especially if you use a canned or frozen product. Some housewives, in order to make the “cover” stronger, prepare old, large and dense leaves. It is not right! They are tougher, with pronounced veins, and bitter.
Here is a video recipe for making dolma from grape leaves
To gain dexterity, practice in advance on fresh preparations. Don't be afraid of cooking: a couple of unsuccessful attempts, and then everything will work out! In my family, cabbage rolls in any version are a familiar and favorite dish.
That's all, dear readers. I would be grateful for your feedback in the comments and activity on social networks.
Do you use grape leaves for treatment? What dishes do you cook? What do you think is tastier - traditional cabbage rolls or grape dolma? What is easier for you to cook? Do the first and second cases require special skills? Do you prepare the green “shell” yourself or buy it ready-made? See you soon, always happy to chat!
Dolma is a tasty, satisfying and very healthy lunch dish, similar to cabbage rolls.
It came to us from the Caucasus and was loved by many housewives. Interesting recipes for dolma in grape leaves are offered in our selection.
You will need:
- 40 fresh grape leaves;
- water - 0.5 l;
- ground meat:
- round rice - 125 g;
- salt - 10 g;
- a piece of butter - 50 g;
- four onions;
- vegetable oil - 50 ml;
- minced beef and lamb - 0.6 kg;
- a pinch of black pepper;
- sauce:
- sour cream - 200 gr;
- greenery;
- a pinch of salt;
- four cloves of garlic.
Cooking method:
- Rinse the leaves under the tap, put them in boiling water and remove them after 5 minutes.
- Chop the peeled onions with a knife.
- Sauté in a heated frying pan in two types of oil, add salt.
- Turn off the stove as soon as the onion pieces become soft.
- Place the washed rice in a pan of water and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes from the moment it boils.
- Finely chop the greens.
- Combine the prepared minced meat, herbs, onions and rice in one bowl. Add salt and a pinch of ground pepper to taste.
- Place grape leaves on a cutting board.
- We form lumps from the minced meat and place them in the middle of the leaves, wrap them on all sides in a tube.
- Let's get a pan with a thick bottom, put the remaining leaves on it in two layers.
- Place dolmas on top. Their seams should be at the bottom.
- Fill the dish with water, its layer should be flush with the last roll of the sheet.
- When the broth boils, reduce the heat and cook for 1.5 hours.
- For the sauce, add chopped garlic and herbs to the sour cream, add salt.
- Place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Serve the dish with sour cream sauce. Bon appetit!
