Dolmeh Kalam Recipe

Dolmeh is a kind of food that has a place in Balkan, South Caucasus, Central Asia, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is made from vegetables such as pepper, tomato, onion, eggplant, zucchini, cabbage, and grape leaves. But now let’s see what is dolmeh kalam(stuffed cabbage rolls) and how it is made. I promise you will love the dolmeh kalam recipe.

Why You Should Make Persian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Dolmeh, no matter how it is cooked, is one of the most delicious Iranian appetizers and, of course, a delicious meal for lunch and dinner. Cabbage rolls are my favorite comfort food and they are suitable for gatherings and special occasions. Cabbage is available all year round and is affordable, so you can make stuffed cabbage rolls whenever you want.

Tips for Spiced Persian Dolmeh Kalam Recipe

It would not be wrong to say that one of the most popular dishes made with cabbage, is stuffed cabbage rolls. But you need to be very careful while making stuffed cabbage rolls. In order to make a particularly delicious dolmeh kalam, you need to know some tricks. Cabbage leaves should be boiled in salted water, especially before rolling the cabbage. Boiled Then cabbage leaves are placed in cold water. Boiled cabbage leaves are rolled easier.

What You Will Need for This Recipe

• cabbage
• Ground beef
• Tomato paste
• Split peas
• Onion
• Herbs(Leek, Coriander, Parsley, Savory, Spring onion, Mint, Dill)
• Rice

How To Serve Dolmeh Kalam?

Dolmeh kalam, one of the most delicious dishes of Persian cuisine, can be served hot or cold. Generally, cabbage rolls with meat should be served hot. Cabbage rolls with rice and vegetables can also be served cold. Persian-style cabbage rolls are usually served with pickles, fresh herbs(sabzi khordan), and bread(naan). In Turkey, cabbage rolls are served with yogurt, cacik, and green salad.

Tips for Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

• Cabbage leaves are very stiff and inflexible, so the first thing to do is to boil the cabbage leaves in water and salt to soften them and make them easier to roll.
• Too much water should not be added while the cabbage rolls are cooking.
• After rolling the cabbages, they need to be cooked in a wide and deep pot.
• If you use regular rice, you should prepare the rice by rinsing it (cook the rice with a lot of water. When you squeeze the rice between two fingers, it should be soft outside it and it should be still firm in the center. Rinse it at this stage).
• Instead of fresh herbs, you can also use dried herbs.

Looking for More Persian Recipes?

• Kookoo Sabzi Recipe
• Zereshk Polo Morgh Recipe
• Tahchin Recipe 
• Albaloo Polo Recipe
• Adas Polo Recipe

Dolmeh Kalam Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 90 Minutes 90 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 6 voted )

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Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage
• 2 cups rice
• 500 g ground beef
• 1/2 cup split peas
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 onions
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• Salt, pepper, and turmeric
• Oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup fresh herbs (Leek, Coriander, Parsley, Savory, Spring onion, Mint, Dill)
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Instructions

Step 1

Remove any browned outer leaves and rinse under cold water. Separate cabbage leaves from the stem, and place them in a large pot. You can also boil the cabbage in another way, and that is not to separate the leaves, just separate the hard part under the cabbage and put the entire head of cabbage in water and salt.

Step 2

Rinse the rice and cook with water and a little salt. Rinse and cook the split peas in the same way.

Step 3

Wash the herbs and chop finely.

Step 4

Chop the onions and saute with a little oil.

Step 5

When the onions are golden, add the ground beef and add salt, pepper, turmeric, and tomato paste.

Step 6

Saute the ground beef and onion together for 5 to 10 minutes until the meat turns golden brown.

Step 7

In a large bowl, add the cooked rice and split peas, chopped herbs, and cooked ground beef and mix thoroughly.

Step 8

Put the cabbage leaves, which are soaked in boiling water, on a clean towel to cool slightly.

Step 9

Now it's time to roll the cabbage leaves. Cabbage leaf has a large and hard leaf vein. You can separate that part of the leaf with a knife.

Step 10

Put a few cabbage leaves on the bottom of a large pot.

Step 11

Take one or two spoons of the prepared dolmeh filling and put them on the cabbage leaves and roll them carefully.

Step 12

Place the cabbage rolls on the bottom of the pot and then pour a few tablespoons of oil and 4 glasses of water on the rolls and let the rolls cook over a gentle heat.

Step 13

In a bowl, mix 3 to 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, and add to the cabbage rolls in the last half hour of cooking. If you do not like the dolmeh kalam to be sweet, you can remove the sugar, and if you like the sweet taste, you can add more sugar to the sauce.