My Mother's Armenian Grape Leaf Dolma (with lamb and rice)

This recipe comes to me from my mother, who learned it from her mother, who was born in Turkey. As dolmas go, it's relatively simple, more utilitarian than "haute cuisine." In our house it was always a main dish, though usually it's a side dish or even an appetizer. It can be eaten warm or cold.

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INGREDIENTS

2 lbs Ground lamb
2 cups Long grain rice
1 qt jar Grape leaves ; Packed in brine. Snip off the stems with a scissors
1 Medium yellow onion ; finely chopped
2-3 cloves Garlic ; finely copped
1 teaspoon Black pepper ; coarsely ground
3-4 cups Lamb Broth
1 8 oz can Tomato sauce

Servings

INSTRUCTIONS

Begin by making lamb broth and set aside, covered. (See my recipe for Mom's Pilaf).

The Mixture:

Mix lamb, rice, garlic, onion and pepper well. MIx well either by hand or in a mixing machine like a Kitchen-Aid. Once this is done reserve in as large mixing bowl.

Stuffing the Grape Leaves:

Place the grape leaf on a board, with the veins of the leaf facing you. Add a dollop of the mixture (depending on the size of the leaves, which do vary) to the base of the leaf. Carefully begin rolling the leaf from the base, tuck in the sides, and continue until the leaf is completely rolled up. Place in a cooking pot.

Cooking:

Carefully cover the stuffed grape leaves in the lamb broth, Drizzle tomato sauce on top of the broth, cover and and simmer for 30-45 minutes so that lamb and rice are fully cooked.

Let cool and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers, These grape leaves are positively delicious served cold.

NOTES

Important Tips:

Do not wash brine off the grapeleaves. This is the source of salt for the recipe.
When putting stuffed grape leaves into the cooking bowl be sure place them with the end of the leaf on the bottom, to prevent them from unraveling.

You should layer them one on top of the other BUT ALTERNATE the orientation of them so that one layer lays oriented 90 degrees from the layer below. The pot should have at least three layers of grape leaves inside.

Once the entire pot is ready for cooking, I always place a saucer (upside down) on the mixture to keep it tight and prevent it from unraveling.

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My Mother's Armenian Grape Leaf Dolma (with lamb and rice)

2 lbs Ground lamb 
2  cups Long grain rice 
1 qt jar Grape leaves Packed in brine. Snip off the stems with a scissors
1  Medium yellow onion finely chopped
2-3 cloves Garlic finely copped
1 teaspoon Black pepper coarsely ground
3-4 cups Lamb Broth 
1 8 oz can Tomato sauce

Begin by making lamb broth and set aside, covered.  (See my recipe for Mom's Pilaf).

The Mixture:
Mix lamb, rice, garlic, onion and pepper well. MIx well either by hand or in a mixing machine like a Kitchen-Aid. Once this is done reserve in as large mixing bowl.

Stuffing the Grape Leaves:
Place the grape leaf on a board, with the veins of the leaf facing you. Add a dollop of the mixture (depending on the size of the leaves, which do vary) to the base of the leaf. Carefully begin rolling the leaf from the base, tuck in the sides, and continue until the leaf is completely rolled up. Place in a cooking pot.

Cooking: 
Carefully cover the stuffed grape leaves in the lamb broth, Drizzle tomato sauce on top of the broth, cover and and simmer for 30-45 minutes so that lamb and rice are fully cooked.

Let cool and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers, These grape leaves are positively delicious served cold.

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Nutrition

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Serving Size: 1 Serving (1154g)
Recipe Makes: Servings

Calories: 3472
Calories from Fat: 1976 (57%)

Amt Per Serving		% DV

	Total Fat 219.6g	293 %
	Saturated Fat 93.9g	469 %
	Monounsaturated Fat 89.7g
	Polyunsanturated Fat 19.4g
Cholesterol 662.2mg		204 %
Sodium 552.7mg		19 %
Potassium 2569.1mg		68 %
Total Carbohydrate 190.8g		56 %
	Dietary Fiber 8.7g	35 %
	Sugars, other 182g
Protein 169.9g		243 %
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition.

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Calories per serving: 3472

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