Vegan Persian Cabbage Roll (Dolmeh) | دلمه کلم ‌پیچ ایرانی بدون گوشت

The word dolma is of Turkish origin from the word dolmak (to fill). The dish is found in the cuisines of the Turkic countries, the Balkans, South Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East and Arabia. The word varies between Turkic dialects called dolama in Turkmen and tulma in the Tatar language. The word dolma most likely comes from Ottoman palace cuisine.Stuffed vegetables are also common in Greek cuisine, called gemista or tsounidis, as well as in Italian cuisine, where they are named ripieni ("stuffed")., dorma in India and mahshi in Arabic.

Dolma have been a part of Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries. Though the word dolma itself most likely has its roots in the cuisine of the Ottoman, stuffed vegetables are attested to in pre-Ottoman Arabic cookbooks that include recipes like eggplants stuffed with meat. The Iranian variety has been traced to at least the 17th century and in the 19th century Naser al-Din Shah Qajar's chef records several varieties including stuffed grape leaves, cabbage leaves, cucumbers, eggplants, apples, and quinces. The recorded stuffings included ground meat, sauteed mint, rice and saffron.

In fact the most important ingredient that makes the Persian/Iranian Cabbage Roll (Dolmeh) different from other middle eastern varieties is the use of Saffron. It’s important to add good amount of it in the sauce and in the filling of Dolmeh.

I love my Dolmeh “Malass”. Malass in Farsi means something neither “sour” nor “sweet”, that you can not tell the difference. Feel free to use your favorite amount of sweetness (sugar) and sourness (lime & vinegar). That’s what we do in Iran. Every city, house and family has its own favorite seasoning. In north of Iran sour is more popular and as you go towards the south, the sweet.

Hope you Enjoy.

My recipe is for 2 people, you can easily double the amount for 4 people or more.

Ingredients:

• 1 big Savoy cabbage or 2-3 small ones

For the sauce

• olive oil

• 6 medium size golden onion

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped “green part” of spring onion

• 3 tablespoons Persian fried onion “Piaz Dāgh” (Optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon saffron, brewed in 1/2 cup boiling water

• 2-4 tablespoons white sugar (depending on your personal taste)

• 1-2 tablespoons lime juice (depending on your personal taste)

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 350g tomato puree

• 3 cups boiling water

For the filling

• 1/2 cup yellow lentils

• 2 cups Jasmin rice or any other long grain rice

• 1 heap cup fresh herbs (cilantro, mint and dill)

• 2 tablespoon dry tarragon

• 2 tablespoon dry dill

Method:

1. In a pot that the cabbage fit perfectly, bring some water to boil and add the cabbage. Use a colander to keep it fully covered, so that it doesn’t float and cooks evenly.

2. If you use Savoy cabbage like me the cooking time is shorter than green cabbage. It takes about 7 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool down completely in a colander.

Prepare the Sauce

1. Place a heavy bottom pot on medium heat, when hot, add a good splash of olive oil. After couple of seconds, add the finely shopped onions, a teaspoon of salt and cook them until gold brown and almost caramelized. Then add the finely chopped spring onions and continue cooking for couple of minutes.

2. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the onions in the pot and set aside the rest for later.

3. Add the Persian fried onions “Piaz Dāgh” and half of the brewed saffron to the pot, stir, then add the sugar, lime juice, apple cider vinegar and tomato puree.

4. Cook for couple of minutes. Adjust sweetness/sourness to your taste.

5. Pour the water into the pot, cook for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat off and set aside.

Prepare the filling

1. In a small pot filled with cold water add the yellow lentils, bring to a boil and cook halfway trhough. They will continue cooking in rolls too, so do not overcook them.

2. Rinse the long grain rice until the water is clear. In a pot, bring to boil some water, then add the rice and cook until al dente. About 7-10 minutes depending on the rice. Drain and set aside.

3. Wash and clean the herbs. Let them dry on a clean kitchen towel or use a salad spinner to remove the excess water. Finely chop them and set aside.

4. In a big bowl mix the lentils with the rice and the onions set aside. Add the fresh and dry herbs, the other half of the brewed saffron. Adjust the seasoning.

Assembling

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC.

2. Choose an oven proof dish and place parchment paper at the bottom to prevent the rolls from sticking.

3. Thin any thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add a heap tablespoon filling to the center of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining cabbage. Make sure there is no space between the rolls, this way after cooking they will keep their shape.

4. Pour the tomato sauce over the rolls, use a wooden spoon to help the sauce filling all the space in between the rolls. Add 1 cup (250ml) hot water on top of the rolls, cover with aluminum foil and pierce some holes.

5. Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes. Then uncover and continue cooking with the grill (or convection oven) for another 10 minutes.

6. Serve with fresh herbs, bread and creme fraiche.