Dolma

Fish meat - 150 gr, onion - 10 gr, grapes leaves - 45 gr, coriander - 20 gr, yoghurt -50 gr, pepper and salt. Fish is cleaned from bounces (omul, pike-perch, white fish). It is mixed with salt, pepper, onion and coriander and grinded in meat-grinder. Stalk of the grapes leaves are cut and it is boiled in hot water for a while. Each leave is filled in with 25-30 grams of force-meat and put in the pot.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 1 ½

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1 pound (450g) ground lamb or beef

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

½ cup short or medium grain rice, washed and drained

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

½ cup chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper to taste

80 small or 40 medium size fresh grape leaves or canned leaves (about ¾ of 16oz can)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup water

Minced meat is filled in grape leaves and put in pot and cooked.  

Mutton - 108 gr, quince - 400 gr, melted butter - 25 gr, chestnut - 25 gr, fennel - 12 gr, sugar - 5 gr, salt. Force meat is added with salt, greenery and cleaned chestnut. Inside of quince is taken out and force-meat is filled there, and broth has poured onto and coked in steam. 

Mutton - 163 gr, onion - 178 gr, rice -15 gr, sheep - 20 gr, melted butter - 20 gr, yoghurt - 50 gr, cinnamon - 0. 1 gr, pepper - 0. 1gr, salt. Force-meat is prepared as in the pepper dolma. But onion is added in it. The base of onion is taken out and force meat is added in. It is put is pot and slightly broth is added on and is cooked on own steam. 

Mutton - 60 gr, melted butter - 10 gr, apple - 200 gr, onion - 15 gr, sugar - 5 gr, vinegar- 10 gr, saffron - 0. 1 gr, salt. Force-meat of mutton is fried in the butter, sugar and vinegar is added on and brought to ready condition. The nucleus of the middle size round apples is taken out. Force-meat is filled in prepared apples and cooked slightly in the broth.

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter

For the Shells

6 small black skinned eggplants (about 12 cm long and 4 cm in diameter)

6 medium green bell peppers

6 large firm tomatoes

salt

ground black pepper

For the Stuffing

4 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter

1 1/2 pounds (700 g) ground beef or lamb

2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium green pepper (pointed or bell), finely chopped

chopped tomato pulp* (see the recipe)

1 cup chopped fresh basil

½ cup cooked yellow split peas (1/4 cup dried, boiled in slightly salted water and drained), optional salt, to taste ground black pepper, to taste. Eggplants are filled and cooked.  

Note: Pick cabbage that is not too hard and is softer to touch, with leaves not too tight together. They will be easier to pull off.

For the Stuffing:

1 pound (450g) ground beef or lamb (or combination), preferably not very lean

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped (2 cups)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup medium grain rice, thoroughly washed and drained

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

½ cup chopped fresh dill

2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 large green cabbage (about 3 pounds /1kg 400 g)

2 tablespoons tomato paste (when in season, you can use 1 medium ripe tomatoe, peeled and grated, with juices and 1 tablespoon tomato paste)

1 ½ cup hot water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage leaves. Fill a large saucepan with water, add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. With a sharp knife, cut out the core of the cabbage and carefully pull off the leaves, keeping them whole and undamaged. Plunge the leaves into the boiling water in batches of 2-3, and blanch them for 5 minutes, until they have softened a little and are pliable. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Repeat with the remaining leaves.