Dolma Vegetarian

Dolma Vegetarian
Yield
4-6
Yield
4-6
Dolma Vegetarian
Yield
4-6
Yield
4-6
Ingredients
  • 2cups of white basmati ricerinsed and soaked for at least 30 minutes
  • 3each roma tomatoescoarsely chopped
  • 1bunch parsleycoarsely chopped
  • 3cloves garlic
  • 2tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/4cup dried currants
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4cup tomato paste
  • 3tablespoons pomegranate molasses
  • 1/4cup lemon juice
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • saltto taste
  • (note: you'll need to reserve the inside of your cored vegetables
  • Vegetables to be stuffed:
  • 2small onions
  • 4each baby bell peppers
  • 3each small tomatoes
  • 2each baby eggplant
  • 1each small zucchinicut into 2-inch pieces
  • 10-12each grape leaves
  • broth:
  • 1 1/2cups water + 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juiceto barely cover the stuffed vegetables when pressed down with a plate
  • 1tablespoon sugar
Yield:
Instructions
  1. PREP: Soak the rice first so it'll be ready when you're done coring. Organization is key, so make sure you have a nice comfortable station whether on the counter or on a table. You'll need a big bowl for the stuffing mixture; a medium-large stock pot for cooking; and a bowl for usually discarded parts of the cored vegetables (you want to keep those).
  2. ONIONS: Peel the onions. Make a slit length-wise less than halfway through -- don't go through the center. Place the onions in a microwave safe bowl, then in the microwave for no more than 2 minutes. This is the fastest, most efficient way. You can also boil the onions until just a bit tender. Then immediately rush them to a cold water bath. Then carefully take the first 4 or 5 layers off each onion. Those will be for stuffing. Save the rest of the onion for the stuffing in a discard bowl. BELL PEPPERS: Slice the tops off. Save tops if you want to cover the stuffed pepper for visual appeal but not necessary. All you have to do is rinse the inside to make sure there are no seeds. TOMATOES: Slice the tops off, save, tomatoes need their hats. Remove the inside of the tomatoes carefully. Save the insides in the discard bowl, along with the remaining onion. EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI: Slice the tops off. [Only If you couldn't find small enough vegetables, cut them in half, too, so they are manageable.] Save the insides in the discard bowl, along with the remaining tomatoes and onions. GRAPE LEAVES: Delicately handle. Separate and keep in a cool water bath to rinse.
  3. THE STUFFING: In a food processor, blend the Roma tomatoes, parsley, garlic, dried basil, 2 tablespoons water and the leftover vegetable scraps. Drain the rice well. Add the mixture from the food processor into the rice and mix. Add the tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, pine nuts, currants, and olive oil to the rice. Mix. Add salt to taste. Mix.
  4. THE PROCESS/ LAYER ORDER IS IMPORTANT: At your station you should have the empty cooking pot (dutch oven) to your left, a bowl with the stuffing in front of you, a bowl of cored vegetables to your right, and a small bowl of grape leaves. Add a thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of your cooking pot. Begin by stuffing the onions. Add them to the bottom of the pot. Then stuff the eggplants and zucchini, add to the pot. Then stuff the baby bell peppers, add to the pot. Then stuff the tomatoes, add to the pot. Then roll the grape leaves, add to the pot. Press everything firmly down.
  5. COOKING: Take the Dolma Pot to the stove. Add a mixture of water and lemon juice to the pot so that ONLY when you press the vegetables down firmly does the water then barely cover the vegetables. The liquid from the vegetables will come out later so you don't want to add too much extra liquid. Place a dinner plate downwards on the vegetables. This helps put pressure on the vegetables. Cover with the pot lid. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes. Then simmer on low for about 40 minutes. The onions will caramelize at the bottom so be careful not to burn them. Remove lid and plate. If there is still red liquid in the pot when it's done, carefully drain that liquid. OPTIONAL: Take the extra red liquid and cook it in a small sauce pot with garlic confit, to pour over the dolma once it's served -- so yummy!
  6. SERVING: Place dolma on serving platter.