I'm sharing my version of my family's Meat Dolma recipe, not only so you guys can make it, but so I can document it. I'm calling this "my version" because my mother's is slightly different than my grandmother's, and so on. I also use cooked rice, which makes things a helluva lot easier. Don't tell my grandma.
Dolma vs. Sarma vs. Meat Dolma vs. Yalanchi: or how to order at the Armenian Deli
OK, here's how it works. "Dolma" means stuffed, and "Sarma" means wrapped. So, meat dolma in grape leaves are technically also sarma, because they are wrapped in leaves. A cabbage roll would work the same way.
These are called meat dolma for a few reasons. 1) My grandmother says so. 2) We usually add some stuffed vegetables to the mix: small sweet peppers are my favorite. You can stuff onions, zucchini, thick-walled tomatoes, or small eggplant with this meat mixture too. So they aren't exclusively wrapped, making them "dolma" but not always "sarma." 3) That's what you'd ask for if you want a similar dish at an Armenian or Mediterranean restaurant. If you're at a Greek establishment, ask for meat dolmades.
Meat Dolma vs. Yalanchi Sarma: these two are cousins from the grapevine. Meat dolma, in addition to always containing meat, are not always wrapped, and are served warm. Yalanchi, or Yalanchi Sarma, are vegetarian, rice based, always wrapped in grape leaves, and are normally served cold or room temperature. Yalanchi are also served as an appetizer or side dish, meat dolma is usually the start of the show. If you'd like to order some, it's pronounced pretty close to Y'ALL-AN-CHEE.
Lula Kebab: the best thing your meat counter is missing
Lula Kebab (or Lulu Kabob, or Lule or Lyulya) is a key ingredient of proper meat dolma. Sadly, if you don't have a Hye Deli (Hye means Armenian) or Mediterranean meat counter near you, you probably can't find it. And that's OK, because you can make it pretty easily. Lula Kebab is a blend of ground beef and lamb (or all lamb in some cases), onion, seasonings and fresh herbs. I'll add my recipe here, but if you know where to get it you can just pick it up and get started.
Can you use ground beef in Meat Dolma:
Yes, you can use just beef. But I don't think you should. Once you find out how delicious the beef + lamb mixture is, you can make this Shepard's Pie too.
What do you need for Meat Dolma?
In addition to the Lula Kebab, you're gonna need some grape leaves. These are easier to find. Look at specialty markets, in the "ethnic" section at premium grocery stores, or online. You want at least one large jar or two smaller (10 oz or so) jars. The brine should look greenish but clear, and you shouldn't see any dark brown or tears in the leaves through the side of the jar. Apparently my grandma used to run a crew (of my mother and aunts) to jar leaves every spring, so they had tender leaves that had been brined plenty long by the holidays. I'm happy to report that this tradition had been abandoned by the time I was old enough to get recruited. Since we live near Fresno, an Armenian hub, there are lots of places to get "the good leaves."
Stuff peppers or vegetables for your dolma too!
OK, I think you're ready. Let's make some dolma! Maybe pour yourself a single-serve sangria. This is gonna take a minute, but it's SO worth it.
Meat Dolma: Armenian Stuffed Grape Leaves
Equipment
- stock pot with lid
- oven-safe plate that fits inside the stock pot
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Lula Kebab (see recipe below)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 shallot diced
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 5-7 hollowed out small vegetables such as sweet peppers, squash, eggplant - OPTIONAL
- 1 16 oz. jar grape leaves
- 1 24 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 lemon
to make Lula Kebab:
- 1.5 lbs 80/20 ground beef
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon paprika smoked is best
- 1 tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Instructions
if you're making your own Lulu Kebab:
- Add the ground beef and lamb to a large mixing bowl. (Make sure the bowl is large enough to mix the meat plus all the filling ingredients too.) Add all the Lulu Kebab ingredients and mix to combine.
to make the Dolma:
- Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and shallot until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Set aside.
- Place the Lula Kebab in large mixing bowl, or pull it over if you made your own. Add the rice, allspice, parsley, salt and pepper to the meat. Add the sautéed onion and shallot, and mix to combine.
- Prepare a stockpot or large Dutch oven with non-stick spray or olive oil. Place a large cutting board in front of you or clear a work surface, You'll want access to the grape leaves, veggies, stockpot, and possibly a small spoon (I use my fingers.) I usually have a couple of paper towels and a garbage bowl handy too. Plus a glass of wine.
- First, hollow out the small veggies (if using). You can finely chop any good bit from the centers and add them to the stuffing mix or save them for soup later. Carefully fill the veggies with the meat filling, packing them tightly but not cracking them open. Set the filled vegetables on the side of your workspace.
- Pull the grape leaves from the jar, allowing the brine to drain off. They are often bundled with string or rolled in bunches, so remove the string if needed and unroll the leaves so the lay flat. Pinch the stems off each leaf, looking to see if any have rips or tears, or any seem tougher than the others. Use these flawed leaves to make a layer along the bottom of your pot. The layer should cover the entire bottom and be two leaves deep. If you don't have enough poor leaves for the bottom layer, add a couple of good ones.
- Now, begin filling the leaves. Work one leaf at at time (or the ones underneath will tear). Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the widest part of the leaf. Fold the sides in, and then roll the leaf up from the base (where the stem was) to the tip. It should look like a small spring roll or cigar. Lay the filled dolma in the bottom of the pan. Repeat this process, adding each dolma right next to the last. (You want them next together, but not packed tight.) Once you have a full layer of wrapped grape leaves, add the filled vegetables to the second layer, then pack filled grapes leaves around them to form another layer. Depending on the size of your pot, you may or may not have a third layer. If you do, add the dolma in the center first and work outward. You should have some grape leaves remaining - don't throw any away that tear!
- Once the filling has all been used, squeeze the juice of the lemon over the dolma. Then pour in the tomato sauce. Cover with a layer of remaining grape leaves, then put the plate face down over the leaves. (You can refrigerate at this step and cook tomorrow.) Cover with a lid.
- To cook, start the pot at medium heat, and tip the lid to release a small amount of steam. Once the liquid begins to bubble around the edge of the plate, reduce to low and cover fully, and cook for 1.5 hours. Check the pot occasionally to make certain it's still slightly simmering and not burning, and that there is still a bit of liquid bubbling around the plate. You can add a ¼ cup water if needed (usually not) or adjust heat.
- Once the dolma have cooked, remove from heat and remove the pot lid. Carefully remove the plate with tongs. Let them cool a bit a enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Photos by James Collier
OK, so now you're a lamb-lover. Did you know you can cook lamb chops in the oven?
My family really loves lamb chops, and we've tested hundreds (not kidding) of ways to cook them. I think the easiest way (by far) is roasting a rack whole, then slicing it.
Get my step-by-step guide for cooking lamb chops in the oven here, along with my recipe for ridiculously easy Spicy Apricot Sauce to go on top!
Frequently Asked Questions about Meat Dolma:
"Dolma" means stuffed, so a dolma or dolmades are rolls of rice or rice + meat mixtures wrapped in grape leaves or cabbage.
Dolma (also known as dolmades in Greek cuisine) is an Armenian and Middle Eastern dish made of rice or a rice and meat mixture stuffed in rolled grape leaves or sometimes cabbage.
Meat dolma is made of rice, ground meat and spices wrapped in young grape leaves and cooked.
Both dolma and dolmades are made of a rice mixture stuffed into rolled grape leaves and cooked until the leaves are tender. Dolma often have a bit of tomato in the cooking liquid, and dolmades often contain more herbs.
Chris says
Thank you for the recipe and sharing what lulu kebab is!
I'm curious about your comment regarding the rice. is this because your grandma uses raw rice or because your grandmother uses a different grain altogether?
If it is a different grain, would you mind sharing? Also, are there any other techniques that she has used or uses that would be of interest?
Thanks!
K.C. Cornwell says
My grandmother uses uncooked rice, and then adds a bit more cooking liquid by mixing broth with the tomato sauce, then cooking for 2+ hours. This method can add a bit more flavor from the broth and is more traditional, but it's also much easier to burn an entire pan of dolma, which is such an utter disappointment I can barely describe it. I like my way much better - plus less waiting to eat!
mary louise the armenian says
i'm an Editing specialist... would love to edit your writings for you... SAW ONE LITTLE TYPO, BUT COULD LOOK FOR MORE IF YOU WANT ME TO. i'M SURE YOU WANT TO KNOW: YOU MENTION FINDING THE INGREDIENTS IN THE "ETHIC" SECTION OF THE GROCERY STORE. YOU MEANT ETHNIC. LOVED YOUR WRITE-UP AND PERSONAL COMMENTS. GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR (THAT'S BRITISH SPELLING) 🙂
K.C. Cornwell says
Well, thanks Mary Louise - updated 🙂
Art M says
Thanks for all the Recipes just my moms however I learned to precooked the pilaf.
B. Archibeque says
I was married to an Armenian and was blessed to meet his grandmother from the old country. She lived in Fresno and taught me how to cook Armenian food and lavash. Every spring we went out in the blazing heat and picked the young grape leaves (shiny and no bigger than the palm of your hand) I spoke no Armenian and she no English yet we spent so much time together. That was 40 years ago. Even tho my marriage ended, I still to this day go to Fresno every spring and pick grape leaves and cook the best Dolma/Sarma, yalanchi, Lavash, etc etc. just from learning from her, and the amazing flavors led me to become a full on Chef!.
K.C. Cornwell says
My grandmother used to lead a crew (that included my mothers & aunts) picking grape leaves too - what a wonderful memory, thank you for sharing!
Amy Harris says
I have been making Sarma with my grandmother for as long as I can remember. My grandfather was Armenian so we made lots of Armenian dishes. She can no longer help me with it, but I recruit others to help roll : )
She always just used ground beef, onion, and uncooked rice...then lots of lemon juice to cover it. I have not tried all of these other methods I am reading about...kind of scared to change what we love. But I may try some of your ideas! Making it tonight, so we shall see.
K.C. Cornwell says
Always happy to connect with another Armo! So many versions of this dish and all the other favorites. I'm about to post our recipe for yalanchi too.
Marie says
I have been a lover of a Greek and Armenian food since my early 20s. I’m 81 now and still enjoy lamb in several recipes. Dolmas are my favorite. We would often go to an excellent restaurant in Philadelphia for Greek food. We have retired South and only get Dolmas from salad bars. I’m so happy to have come across your site. I’m going to try my luck at meat dolmas this weekend. Thank you very much, Marie
Lorine Tegrarian Lewis says
Thanks for sharing- coming up here hoping for some good spring veggies to stuff- normally stuff grape leaves otherwise - I also only ever have used uncooked rice
My mom used to use a pressure cooker- so my very large 10 qt power cooker is my cooking buddy for that one .
Pressure cooking the dolma makes the leaves extremely tender!
Works well for the vegetable dolma also infuses lots of flavor into them-give it a try sometime if you haven’t used a pressure cooker they are awesome.