Main Page
National cuisine
Dolma with tomato sauce

Dolma in Tomato Sauce

Juicy, incredibly tasty little rolls of grape leaves! The tomato sauce makes this dolma wonderfully fragrant and rich. You can use frozen, brined, or fresh grape leaves, and any ground meat you like — or even a blend of a few kinds.

Pearl

Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Grape leaves (as many as needed)

150

Rice

Ground meat

400

Tomatoes

Onion (medium)

Garlic

Vegetable oil

Salt

Ground black pepper

Fresh herbs

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 17 % 5 g

Fats 50 % 15 g

Carbohydrates 33 % 10 g

201 kcal

GI: 27 / 73 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make dolma? Start by gathering everything you'll need. I used ground pork for this recipe and brined grape leaves. First, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then boil it separately until half-cooked. Drain it in a colander and rinse under clean water.
Step 2:

Add the rice to the ground meat.
Step 3:

Peel and rinse the onion. Finely chop one onion and add it to the meat and rice. Season with salt and pepper. At this point you can add your favorite dry spices — I added ground red pepper and a pinch of khmeli-suneli (a Georgian herb blend).
Step 4:

Knead the filling until well combined.
Step 5:

Lay a grape leaf out flat. Place a small amount of filling near the base, where the stem was attached, as shown in the photo.
Step 6:

Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, first one side then the other, and roll it up snugly.
Step 7:

A finished roll looks like a little stuffed crepe.
Step 8:

Do the same with the rest of the leaves and filling.
Step 9:

Peel the garlic. Rinse the tomatoes, cut them in half, and remove the stem ends. Cut the tomatoes into small dice. Peel, rinse, and mince the garlic. Finely chop the second onion as well.
Step 10:

Heat a little vegetable oil in a skillet. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
Step 11:

Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and cook over high heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Step 12:

Use a heavy-bottomed pot or a deep, high-sided skillet. Spread a third of the tomato sauce over the bottom, arrange the grape rolls on top, and cover them with the rest of the sauce.
Step 13:

Set a light weight on top of the rolls (I use a flat saucer). If your sauce came out on the thick side — which depends a lot on how juicy your tomatoes are — pour in a little boiling water so it nearly covers the rolls. Cover the pot and bring it to a vigorous simmer over high heat. Then lower the heat and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 14:

Toward the end, if there's too much liquid left in the pot, I take off the lid, turn the heat up high, and let it go until the sauce reduces to just the right amount. Sprinkle the finished dish with fresh herbs and a little pepper.

I used grape leaves brined using this recipe:
/cooking/14436-dolma-na-zimu — Enjoy! Cook with love and pleasure!
Choose tomatoes that are juicy but firm. Soft ones don't hold their shape well; they'll fall apart into a shapeless mush as you cut and cook them and spoil the look of the dish.
The tomatoes here can be swapped for ketchup, canned tomatoes in their own juice, or tomato paste. Adjust the amount to taste.
If you use a store-bought spice blend, be sure to check the label. These blends often already contain salt, so keep that in mind or you risk over-salting the dish.