Classic dolma in grape leaves in a saucepan

Step-by-step cooking

1. Step 1:

   

   How to cook dolma? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. Take minced meat from any meat that you like. If you buy ready-made, take high-quality without additives. But it's better to make the stuffing yourself. I have beef, pork and chicken. Rice will fit round. It contains more starchy substances. Thanks to them, rice perfectly absorbs moisture and flavors, and also holds the filling together well. Matzoni can be replaced with sour cream.

2. Step 2:

   

   Choose younger, lighter-colored leaves. If you have fresh ones, cut off the "tails" and rinse them thoroughly under running water. Pour boiling water over the leaves, hold for 5 minutes and drain the water. If the leaves are pickled, they need to be unwrapped, disassembled one by one, pour boiling water and hold for 20 minutes.

3. Step 3:

   

   Transfer the minced meat and raw rice into a deep bowl to knead the filling. Peel the onion and 2 garlic cloves, rinse. Leave some garlic and herbs, they will come in handy later (step 10). Remove the tough stems and flaccid leaves from the greens, rinse and dry. Chop the onion, garlic and herbs with a knife. Add onion, garlic, herbs, salt and spices to the minced meat.

4. Step 4:

   

   Knead the filling thoroughly until smooth. It is more convenient to do it with your hands.

5. Step 5:

   

   To extinguish the dolma, take a saucepan with a volume of about 5 liters. Line the bottom with grape leaves so that the dolma does not burn.

7. Step 6:

   

   Now start collecting dolma. From a small amount of filling, form an oblong "cutlet" and lay it on the ribbed part at the base of the leaf. The size depends on the size of the sheet. My filling turned out to be slightly smaller than a walnut.

8. Step 7:

   

   Wrap the filling in a sheet, turning up the edges. Do not fold too tightly so that the leaves do not burst when the rice absorbs water and the filling increases in volume. The smooth part of the sheet should remain on top. It will immediately seem that it is difficult and it will take a lot of time, but after 2-3 envelopes, you will fill your hand and easily collapse everything.

9. Step 8:

   

   Put the dolma in a saucepan, in a tight circle, seam down.

10. Step 9:

    

    Pour boiling water over the dolma so that it is completely covered with water. Put a load on top, for example, a heavy plate, so that the dolma does not float and the leaves do not unfold. If you used fresh leaves, add a little salt to the water. Simmer the dolma over low heat for 1 hour after boiling. The time is indicated approximately - focus on your technique.

11. Step 10:

    

    Prepare the sauce. Pour the matzoni into a linen or cotton bag and strain, hanging for about an hour to drain the liquid. Then mix the matzoni with chopped garlic and herbs.