Iraqi Dolma
The queen of the Iraqi table: vegetables and vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat, cooked with the tang of pomegranate.
- ⏱Time2 hr 30 min
- 📊DifficultyAdvanced
- 👥Serves6 people
- 🔥Per serving790 kcal
Ingredients for 6 people
- Grape leaves30 leaves
- Onion4 large
- Eggplant4 small
- Zucchini4
- Green bell pepper4
- Rice2 cups
- Ground beef300 g
- Meat500 g ribs
- Tomato2
- Tomato paste2 tbsp
- Pomegranate molasses3 tbsp
- Vegetable oil1/2 cup
- Saltto taste
- Black pepper1 tsp
- Water3 cups
Optional extras
- Garlic5 cloves
- Parsley1/2 bunch
- Lemon1
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 790
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 41 g
Approximate values; they vary with the exact ingredients you use.
Method
Soak the rice for 20 minutes, then mix it with the minced meat, chopped tomato, tomato paste, half the pomegranate molasses, salt, pepper and oil.
Core the eggplants, zucchini and peppers; boil the slit onions for 10 minutes until the layers separate, and blanch the vine leaves for 2 minutes.
Stuff the vegetables three-quarters full, and roll the filling inside the onion layers and vine leaves.
Lay the ribs in the bottom of a wide pot, then pack the stuffed vegetables snugly on top.
Mix the water with the rest of the molasses and salt, pour it over the dolma and place an upturned plate on top to hold it in place.
Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, then over low heat for 75 minutes until the rice has absorbed the water.
Let it rest for 10 minutes, then flip the pot onto a large tray and serve.
💡 2 more secrets for this dish in the Tahwa app (Plus) — like cooking next to an expert.
The full recipes are free in the app: 530 recipes waiting for you
Pick what's in your fridge, or just say it, and Tahwa shows the dishes you can cook right now. No sign-up, works offline.
