Lavash
Paper-thin unleavened flatbread, blistered and scored in the tradition of the hearth.
Step-by-step →Vine leaves · Lake Sevan
DOLMA
Դոլմա
Vine leaves rolled around rice, herbs and lamb, packed tight and weighted with a plate.
75 min
Total time
Serves 6
Yield
5
Steps
Step by step
HOW IT IS MADE
- 01
Prepare the leaves
Blanch fresh leaves for a minute, or rinse brined ones well. Snip out any tough stems and set the torn leaves aside to line the pot.
- 02
Mix the filling raw
Combine rice, lamb, onion, chopped herbs, tomato purée, salt and pepper. The rice goes in uncooked and swells inside the leaf.
- 03
Roll them tight but not full
Place a leaf shiny-side down, a finger of filling near the stem, fold the sides in and roll firmly. Leave a little slack for the rice.
- 04
Pack, weight and simmer
Line the pot with the torn leaves, pack the rolls in tight circles, lay a plate on top and add water just to cover. Simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- 05
Rest before serving
Let the pot stand off the heat for fifteen minutes, then serve warm with garlic yoghurt and lemon.
At a glance
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Energy
- ≈ 290 kcal per serving
- Preparation
- 50 min rolling
- Cooking
- 45 min simmering
- Season
- Late spring, when vine leaves are young
- Occasion
- Easter, name days, any table with guests
Cook's notes
GET IT RIGHT
- Blanch fresh leaves 30 seconds; rinse jarred leaves to remove brine.
- Roll firmly but leave room — the rice swells to half again its size.
- Line the pot with torn leaves and lay a plate on top so the rolls stay closed.
- Simmer barely bubbling; a hard boil unravels them.
Variations
Pasuts dolma
The Lenten version with lentils, chickpeas, bulgur and no meat, rolled in cabbage leaves.
Summer dolma
Peppers, tomatoes and small aubergines hollowed out and stuffed with the same filling.
Questions
ASKED IN THE KITCHEN
Vine leaves or cabbage?
Vine leaves in spring and summer, cabbage in winter — the filling is the same.
Why is my rice still hard?
Not enough liquid, or too little time. Keep the rolls just covered and add hot water as it reduces.
History & Culture
WHY THIS DISH
Armenians wrap almost anything: vine, cabbage and quince leaves in summer, hollowed apples, quinces and aubergines in autumn. The word comes from a Turkic root for 'filled', but the tradition of the region is far older than the word.
Pasuts dolma — the Lenten version with beans and grain, no meat — is made in quantity around Christmas and eaten cold for days, a reminder that fasting food in Armenia was never austere.
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