Dolmeh Barg-E Kalam - Persian Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

دلمه برگ کلم - Dolmeh barg-e kalam (stuffed cabbage leaves) is a variation of the well-known together with popular stuffed vegetables genre known every bit dolma/dolmeh inwards Islamic Republic of Iran every bit good every bit amid neighboring countries together with unlike regions. This recipe was a staple inwards our dwelling solid growing upwards together with i of my mother's personal favorites. I had heard my mother's tale many times of how i Nowruz (Persian New year) when she was young, she single-handedly stuffed about 100 cabbage leaves alongside aromatic herbs, rice, meat and some raisins. And how this dish became her most exquisite and memorable dolmeh-ye kalam for all those identify unit of measurement members, distant relatives and friends who were visiting during the Nowruz holiday.

To attain the best results inwards preparing Persian meals, likewise having the basic culinary skills, you'll ask to induce got a feel of appreciation for the creativity, wisdom, attention together with task that goes into most Iranian dishes. Along alongside cooking skills together with enthusiasm, you lot volition ask a niggling patience every bit well.  Western Farsi nutrient takes fourth dimension to brand but don't permit that discourage you. In cooking, every constituent counts together with every footstep is important. For those who are pressed for fourth dimension or are non that into cooking, at that spot are many classic Western Farsi meals that are perfect for whatever fourth dimension of the solar daytime such as: kookoo sibzamini, kookoo sabzi, borani esfenaj, kotlet, noon o panir o gerdoo (bread, cheese together with walnuts) or noon o mast (bread together with yogurt).

While the tasty dolmeh-ye barg kalam is simmering away inwards a rich tomato-based sauce on the stove, I recollect almost those earlier us who prepared meals for their families many centuries ago, cooking nutrient over wood-fires when H2O could solely move reached past times agency of قنات - qanat, چاه آب - H2O wells or چشمه springs. Somehow, they managed to save together with verbally top on their way of cooking to the side past times side generation to deport on the business of feeding the family. I experience strongly almost maintaining the authenticity of our recipes every bit much every bit nosotros tin together with to non permit it move forgotten, overlooked or given upwards past times our hectic together with hurried life styles.  I exit you lot alongside this poesy form past times Saadi Shirazi:

ابر و باد و مه و خورشید و فلک در کارند              تا تو نانی به کف آری و به غفلت نخوری

سعدی شیرازی 

Clouds, wind, fog, the sun, together with the universe are all at operate so that you lot would earn a loaf of breadstuff together with non eat it in oblivion.

This dolmeh recipe unremarkably has a sweet-sour flavor. However, depending on your preferences you lot tin adapt the amount of saccharide or lemon juice/vinegar to your liking. I don't add together whatever saccharide to my dolmeh since I similar them to a greater extent than on the sour side. If you lot similar adding raisins to the filling together with then that adds plenty natural sweetness to the dolmeh which is a much healthier pick than sugar. You can add equal parts barberries together with raisins to convey almost the natural together with fragile sweet- sour flavor inwards this dish. I also ask to betoken out that my mother's master recipe did non include whatever tomato plant sauce - that's merely my ain addition, an ode to tomatoes.

Dolmeh Barg-e Kalam - Stuffed Cabbage Leaves

Ingredients:
Serves half dozen

1 large cabbage, washed, centre nitty-gritty removed

For filling:

2/3 pound lean terra firma beef
1/2 loving cup long-grain rice, rinsed
1/2 loving cup yellowish carve upwards peas, rinsed
1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh herbs (a combination of flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, chives, dill, basil, tarragon, mint) washed, difficult stems removed
1/4 - 1/2 loving cup raisins *optional
1/4 - 1/2 loving cup barberries *optional
1 large yellowish onion, chopped
ii large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
H5N1 pinch of cumin
ii tablespoons liquid saffron
Salt together with pepper

For the Sauce:

ii tablespoons tomato plant paste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Juice of a large lemon/lime or a tablespoon of vinegar
1 tablespoon powdered saccharide *optional
Salt together with pepper to taste
Vegetable oil/olive oil
Water

Method:

1. In a large pot, convey 6-8 cups of H2O to a boil over high heat, add together a tablespoon of salt, gently add together the caput of cabbage into the boiling water, ready for 10 minutes. Drain. Peel each cabbage leaf, cut out the hard rib inwards each leaf. Set aside. 
2. In a large skillet, oestrus a yoke of tablespoons of olive crude oil over medium-high heat, add together the chopped onion, saute until lite golden brown, add together the minced garlic together with the turmeric powder. Stir together with saute for a few to a greater extent than minutes.
3. Add the terra firma beef, tabular array salt together with pepper to gustation together with chocolate-brown until good done. Set aside.
4. In a medium size pot combine the rice together with the yellowish carve upwards peas, add together plenty H2O to comprehend the rice past times an inch over the rice line. Add a teaspoon of salt, a tablespoon of oil, convey to a boil over medium-high heat, cut down the oestrus , comprehend alongside the top a niggling ajar to permit the steam out, ready until the H2O is fully absorbed. Set aside.
5.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat mixture, rice together with peas, chopped herbs, cumin and saffron. Mix well. 
6. In a large pan, saute the sliced onion inwards iii tablespoons of olive crude oil until translucent, add together a tablespoon of tomato plant paste, saute for a yoke of minutes until it's no longer raw, add together tabular array salt together with pepper to taste. Add 3 cups of H2O together with convey to a gentle simmer, ready until sauce is thickened.
7. In the meantime, identify a small-scale scoop of the mixture into the centre of each cabbage leaf, plication inwards the bottom, sides together with the top of the foliage to consummate the wrap.
8. Arrange the stuffed cabbage alongside the seam down, side past times side to i some other inwards a large pot. Pour the tomato plant sauce over the dolmeh, comprehend together with ready on medium-low oestrus for an hour. In the final 10-15 minutes of cooking sprinkle alongside ii tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar and merely a sprinkle of sugar. Taste together with adapt the seasoning.

To serve placed the dolmeh on a platter together with serve warm alongside mast-o-khiar and sabzi khordan.

At the beach alongside family!

Enjoy!

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