Dolmeh
There are many, many kinds of dolmeh in the world. In Greece, they are known as dolmades, in Armenia they are called tolma, and in Syria they are known as yebra. The Persian word dolmeh—or dolma, if you’re talking about just one—comes from the Turkish verb dolmak, “to fill”, and there’s strong evidence to support the idea that dolmeh emerged in Turkey. Any vegetable can be considered a dolmeh; there are recipes for stuffed peppers, cucumbers, artichokes, and tomatoes, as well as the leafy wrappers like cabbage or the grape leaves.
Rinse jarred grape leaves to remove some of the brininess. Choose leaves that aren’t torn, and they should be roughly the size of your hand. If they’re ripped or too small, they’re harder to wrap properly. The rolling process takes a little bit of time but as long as the leaves aren't torn there’s nothing difficult about it, and in the end you’ll have a 35-40 terrific little taste nuggets that are ready to eat. They can be eaten at any temperature—hot, cold, or at room temp—so make them when you have the time and store them until you’re ready to eat. What’s the best way to test for doneness? Eat one. Snacking on a dish in the name of taste-testing is the chef’s bonus. Serve these with a yogurt-based Tzatziki Sauce or a little spritz of lemon and a side of Homemade Hummus for some light, playful appetizers that are well worth the effort.
- 1 small eggplant
- 2 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt, divided
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 Spice seasoning, divided
- ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 1 finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cups basmati rice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 16-oz jar grape leaves
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 32 oz vegetable stock
1. Preheat oven to 500°F.
2. Cut eggplant into a small dice and season with 1 teaspoon of Fine Sea Salt, 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7 Spice, and 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Roast on a sheet pan in a 500°F oven for 10 minutes.
3. Saute onion over medium heat with the ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil until soft. Add the basmati rice, cilantro, parsley, remaining Lebanese 7 Spice, and Fine Sea Salt.
4. Rinse grape leaves. Pull out any small or torn leaves and put to the side. Snip off the tough stem at the base of the leaf. Lay leaf vein side up. Spoon roughly 2 Tablespoons of the rice mixture in the middle of the bottom third of the grape leaf.
5. Fold the sides of the grape leaves in first, over the rice mixture, then pull the bottom of the leaves over the folded sides. Roll into a tight package. Continue the process until the rice mixture is gone.
6. Line the bottom of a Dutch oven with the small or torn grape leaves. Place rolled grape leaves tightly together, seam side down, on top of the grape leaves. Use more grape leaves to create a layer once the bottom of the Dutch oven is packed. There will be 2 or 3 layers. Any unfilled grape leaves can be put back into the jar and covered in water. They should be used within one week, once opened.
7. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the grape leaves and pour in the vegetable stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to a low, steady simmer. Cover the Dolmeh with a heavy plate to help keep them submerged and to prevent the cooking liquid from pulling them open as they cook.
8. Cook for roughly one hour, or until the rice is soft. The best way to test for doneness is to eat one after an hour of cooking.
9. Allow to cool and serve.
