I urge you to make these stuffed, rolled savoy cabbage leaves in celebration of their mouthwatering beauty. They may be time-consuming but these parcelled morsels of meat-free joy are so worth it. Serve with natural yoghurt, fresh bread, olives and pickled peppers. Dolma in Turkish means ‘to stuff’ or ‘stuffing’ and sarma means ‘to roll’ or ‘rolled’.
Requires 2 hours standing time.
Overview
Prep time30 mins Cook time
2 hrs Serves
6 -8
Ingredients
- 1 savoy cabbage
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 50g parsley, leaves and stalks finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tatlı biber salçası (mild sweet Turkish red pepper paste)
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 150g short-grain pudding rice, washed and drained
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp dried mint
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ tsp pul biber
- 1 large tomato, halved and thickly sliced
- 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
- 30g unsalted butter
Method
StepWith a sharp knife cut off the largest leaves from the base (root end) of 1 savoy cabbage until you have around 20-22 good-sized whole leaves. Finely chop the smaller, raw cabbage leaves and leave to one side.
StepBring a large pan of water to the boil over a high heat and, in batches, blanch the cabbage leaves for 2-3 minutes until they soften, then remove to a large plate to cool.
StepAdd 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 finely chopped onion to a large frying pan over a low heat. Season and cook for 12-15 minutes until lightly caramelised. Add the parsley stalks and chopped cabbage then fry for 3-4 minutes more to soften. Stir in 2 tbsp tatlı biber salçası and 2 tbsp of the tomato purée.
StepMix through 150g pudding rice and pour in 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes. Turn up the heat and when it starts to bubble cook for 2-3 minutes. Carefully transfer everything from the pan to a large dish to cool.
StepPreheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
StepMix in the parsley leaves, 2 tbsp dried mint, 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tsp of the pul biber and generously season.
StepPlace a cabbage leaf on a large plate, with the stem pointing towards you. Add 2-3 tbsp of the filling along the widest part, leaving the perimeter around the edges free. Tuck in the sides, then the top of the leaf, before rolling it away from you.
StepPlace the stuffed cabbage leaf into a large deep casserole dish with the seam facing downwards. Repeat until all the leaves and filling are used up, and all the dolma are lined up in the casserole dish. Scatter 1 large sliced tomato on top.
StepIn a large jug or bowl, whisk 1 crumbled chicken or vegetable stock cube with the remaining 1 tbsp of tomato purée and 400ml boiling water. Stir until fully dissolved. Then mix in 200ml cold water and pour into the casserole dish.
StepCut out a sheet of parchment paper large enough to tuck into the sides of the dish and lay it on top of the stuffed leaves, followed by an oven-safe plate (or something similar) to weigh everything down. Cover the dish or wrap with foil. Cook for 1 hour.
StepRemove from the oven and very carefully take off the lid or foil, plate and parchment. Turn the heat up to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7 and cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes.
StepMeanwhile, add 30g unsalted butter to a small frying pan over a low heat. Stir through the remaining ½ tsp of pul biber then remove from heat.
StepBrush the dolma with a little of the melted pul biber butter and pop back in the oven for a final 10 minutes. Pour over the remaining butter and leave to rest, with the lid on, for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe from Meliz Berg, Dinner Tonight: Simple meals, exciting flavours (Ebury Publishing, £22)
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