Kelem dolmasi
Kelem dolmasi — a lamb-based stuffed cabbage recipe.
By API | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 4
Tags: Dinner
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb mince
- 1 pcs cabbage
- 8 g onions
- 1 g salt
- 1 g peppers
- 0.5 g turmeric
- 0.5 g cinnamon
- 2 g cilantro
- 2 pcs dill
- 2 cup rice
- 2 pcs chickpeas
- 3 oz lamb fat
- 1 ml tomato puree
- 3 ml water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the rice, cook for 8 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- While the rice cooks, peel and very finely chop the onion and chop the cilantro (or other fresh herbs).
- Rinse the canned chickpeas, then roughly chop or lightly mash them so they will blend into the filling.
- Finely mince the lamb (and lamb fat, if using) with a knife or pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
- In a bowl combine the minced lamb and fat with the chopped onion, herbs, chopped/mashed chickpeas, the par-cooked rice, turmeric, and salt and pepper; taste and season, leaning toward slightly more salt and pepper if needed.
- Work the filling thoroughly with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Fill your largest saucepan with salted water and bring it to a boil; peel off and reserve the outer cabbage leaves, then immerse the whole remaining cabbage in the boiling water and blanch for 3–4 minutes, turning as needed.
- Remove the cabbage carefully and let it cool for 1–2 minutes, then peel off the blanched leaves (cut at the base if necessary); if inner leaves are still firm, return the cabbage to the boiling water and repeat until you have enough pliable leaves.
- On a cutting board trim out the tough stalk from each blanched leaf and set the stalks aside, and cut the largest leaves in half.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each leaf in a short cylindrical shape, fold the ends over the filling and roll tightly like a small burrito.
- Line the bottom of a stockpot with the discarded cabbage leaves and stalks to create a steaming bed, then arrange the rolled dolma on top of that layer.
- Pour water into the stockpot up to the top of the discarded leaves but not so high that it covers the dolma.
- Cover the dolma with a heatproof plate or metal pan and weigh it down with a heavy object (for example a mortar or another heavy pan) so the rolls stay compact; bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- While the dolma simmers, stir together tomato paste and water and warm over medium heat for a few minutes to make a simple tomato sauce; after the initial 25 minutes pour the sauce over the dolma and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.