Armenian Pasuts Dolma

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make Armenian pasuts dolma? Prep the filling ingredients ahead of time — bulgur, lentils, beans, and chickpeas. Rinse them well and soak overnight. Then boil the chickpeas and beans in separate pots until half-cooked, about an hour. Rinse the bulgur and lentils and drain.

2. Step 2:

   

   Prep the rest of the ingredients, too. Wash the herbs, peel the onions, and chop them finely. Cut the core out of the cabbage.

3. Step 3:

   

   Add the onion to a skillet heated with vegetable oil. Fry over low heat, stirring now and then.

4. Step 4:

   

   Once the onion turns golden and translucent, turn off the heat.

5. Step 5:

   

   Take a pot large enough to hold the whole head of cabbage. Bring water to a boil in it. Lower the cabbage into the boiling water and cook for 7–10 minutes, until the leaves turn soft and pliable enough to wrap the filling.

6. Step 6:

   

   Combine the prepared legumes and grain in a deep bowl.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add the khmeli-suneli — or your other favorite spices — along with finely chopped fresh herbs, finely grated garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour in part of the lemon juice.

9. Step 9:

   

   Mix all the filling ingredients together thoroughly, taste, and add more spices, herbs, salt, garlic, or lemon juice if anything is missing. The filling is ready.

10. Step 10:

    

    Once the cabbage is half-cooked, lift it out, separate it into individual leaves, and cut out the tough rib. Lay those ribs on the bottom of the pot where you'll cook the dolma. Alternatively, leave them in and pound them with a meat mallet to soften.

11. Step 11:

    

    The cabbage leaves are ready. Now you can wrap the filling in them.

12. Step 12:

    

    Take about a tablespoon of filling, place it near the edge of a leaf, and roll it up, tucking in the sides.

13. Step 13:

    

    Roll them fairly tightly, but leave a little room, since the filling will swell as it cooks. Arrange the rolls in the pot.

14. Step 14:

    

    Take the tomato paste, thin it with a little water, add the remaining lemon juice, and stir well. You can also add a pinch of salt.

15. Step 15:

    

    Pour this tomato mixture over the dolma.

16. Step 16:

    

    Then add enough water to the pot to cover the rolls, and pour a little vegetable oil over the top.

17. Step 17:

    

    Cover the dolma with a plate smaller in diameter than the pot and set it over the heat to come to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to the minimum and simmer, covered, for about an hour. After an hour, check the dolma for doneness — both the leaves and the filling should be soft. Then your Armenian pasuts dolma is done. Traditionally this dish is eaten cold, or rather at room temperature. Enjoy!