Arabic Dolma (Middle eastern stuffed vegetables) Iraqi Dolma

ground lamb

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey is lower in fat, while ground beef is often more affordable.

zucchini

🥗Healthier: eggplant

💰Cheaper: cabbage

Eggplant offers a similar texture, while cabbage is often less expensive.

rice

🥗Healthier: quinoa

💰Cheaper: bulgur

Quinoa is higher in protein, while bulgur is a budget-friendly grain.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while canola oil is typically less expensive.

Hollow out your vegetables, making sure to retain the cores of the tomatoes and aubergines.

Blanch your swiss chard and vine leaves in boiling water for 90 seconds each, before trimming their stems.

For the stuffed onions, peel them and make a cut through to the centre of the onion before microwaving for 2 minutes. Allow to rest before peeling apart the layers.

Mince the parsley, dill, vegetable cores, tomatoes, and onions finely and add to a bowl.

Wash your rice thoroughly until water runs clear then add all of the filling ingredients to the same bowl.

Mix thoroughly until well combined and a homogenous texture formed.

Stuff the aubergines by pushing rice through their opening until about 1/2cm (1/4in) from the top.

Stuff the peppers and tomatoes by filling with a tablespoon. Leave a gap of about 3/4cm (5/16in) in the tomatoes and a smaller gap in the peppers.

Stuff the onions by placing 1-2 tsp of stuffing on a single layer of the onion, then roll it onto itself till it wraps around at least twice.

Stuff the vine leaves and swiss chard by placing 2 tsp on the leaf and folding the bottom and sides of the leaf over the filling. Tuck the sides in as you roll the filling all the way to the end.

Prick the aubergines and peppers with a knife about 5-10 times each.

Place a layer of celery leaves, green beans, and lamb chops in the bottom of the pot to prevent the dolma from sticking.

Lay in the onions and then the vegetables on top of them in any order.

Place the leaf rolls last so they don't get squashed.

Place the rest of the stuffed vegetables (bell peppers, tomatoes).

Place the pot on the stove on medium heat and cover with a lid, allow it to steam for 15 minutes.

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce together.

When the 15 minutes are up, pour the sauce over the dolma in an even manner. Stop adding sauce when the liquid reaches halfway up the height of the pot.

Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Cover and allow to cook for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes you can remove the lid and allow the liquid to evaporate (optional).

Place a plate or platter on top of the pot and flip the pot over with the plate.

Allow to sit for a few minutes before removing the pot.

Serve immediately.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: