Persian cooking: recipes · Dolmeh & kufteh: stuffed dishes
Dolmeh Kalam دلمه کلم
Persian-style cabbage rolls in a sweet-sour sauce.
Ingredients
- 20 large cabbage leaves
- 375 g minced lamb or beef (with some fat)
- 125 g basmati rice
- 65 g yellow split peas
- 1¼ onions
- 1¼ bunch mixed herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, leek)
- 1¼ tsp turmeric
- 1¼ tsp cinnamon
- 2½ tbsp tomato paste
- 3¾ tbsp lemon juice
- 2½ tbsp sugar
- 5 tbsp oil
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
Method
- Filling: half-cook the rice and split peas. Fry the onion, add the mince and turmeric and fry until crumbly; mix with the rice, peas, finely chopped herbs, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
- Blanch the cabbage leaves for 3 minutes, shave the thick ribs flat, fill and roll up. Pack tightly in a pot.
- Sauce: stir 300 ml water with 2 tbsp tomato paste, 3 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp sugar and pour over.
- Weigh down with a plate and cook covered for 1 hour.