The Modus Operandi of the Iraqi Dolma

 (The Baghdadi Way)

Iraqi Cuisine

 

 Iraqi Dolma

 

First, we will briefly explain what a dolma is:

 

Dolma is basically a cook from Turkish cuisine, famous for it and mastered by the people of Iraq in general, and it is one of the most famous Iraqi dishes ((a famous Iraqi dish with distinction))

 

 It consists of vegetables stuffed with meat and rice and seasoned with spices. Its taste is sour, tending to sweetness. The method of cooking it differs from one region to another in all parts of Iraq.

 

 

Today we will prepare the Iraqi Dolma in the original Baghdadi way.

 

 

How to prepare Iraqi Dolma

 

 Required components:

 

First) Filling Ingredients:

 

1)   2 cups rice, washed, soaked and drained

2)   1 kilo of beef cut by hand, cut into small pieces

3)   A little bit of Layh (lamb fat), cut into small pieces - as desired

4)   Onion, chopped

5)   Tomatoes cut into small cubes

6)   Parsley + dill (dill to taste), but it gives a distinctive taste to the Dolma

7)   Tomato paste

8)   Biryani spices

9)   Salt

 

Second) Sauce Ingredients:

1)   3 cups of water

2)   2 tablespoons tomato paste

3)   1 Tablespoon of salt

4)   1/2 cup spoon lemon doze (lemon salt)

5)   1 cup spoon of sugar 

 

Third) Vegetables required for stuffing: 

1) 1 kilo of small zucchini

2) 1 kilo of small eggplant

3) 4 large onions

4) 2 tomatoes

5) 2-3 small sweet green peppers

6) Chard leaves (2-3 bundles) 

Fourth) at the bottom of the pot (wall) is placed

Oil + ghee (as desired) + Bean (Bean, not dry or dried) + lamb ribs

 

 

The method of work:

 

Let's start with the stuffing first

Drain the soaked rice from the water well.

We cut the beef and (fat) into small cubes and add the rice.

Chop 2 medium-sized onions and add to rice and beef.

Chop 2 tomatoes and add to the above mixture.

Chop the parsley and dill and add to the mixture.

 

Add a 1 cup spoon of salt + 1 cup spoon of spices (biryani) + 2 Tablespoon tomato paste to the mixture. 

 

Vegetable Coring 

We will coring out the eggplant, zucchini, sweet pepper and tomato for stuffing

 

The way to prepare onions for stuffing is: Peel the onions and cut them from one side only and lengthwise, and put them in boiling water for 10 minutes only until the layers separate easily.

Chard leaves: We will wash well if the chard leaves are large and thick, we immerse them in lukewarm water until they become soft and easy to fold and twist.

 

Preparing the pot in which we will describe the materials: put in the bottom of the pot, as desired, oil + free fat (baladi ghee) + lamb ribs + bean (fresh) or frozen

 

 

Start stuffing the materials and start with the materials that can withstand boiling and put them at the bottom of the pot.. In the middle we put the tomatoes and we put the eggplant around it, and then the zucchini and in the middle we put the sweet pepper and we start with the onions and the last thing is the chard leaves on top.

 

 

The sauce: we mix 2 tablespoons of tomato paste + 1/2 tablespoon of lemon salt + 1 tablespoon of table salt + 1 cup spoon of sugar in 3 cups of cold water. And pour it over the dolma, the amount of water used should not cover the materials.. Because the vegetables when they are cooked drop water.. That is why we do not want an increase in the amount of water so that the dolma is cooked more than necessary.

 

We place a plate on top of the dolma and press it so that the substances are fixed when boiling.

 

Put on medium heat between 40 minutes to an hour.

When serving, turn the pot over onto a plate or tray (Upside Down)

 

And how the dolma works is detailed in the attached video below:

 

The way the Iraqi dolma works on the Baghdadi way

 

 

A very important Note: Do not use lemon at all, because the taste of lemon will not make the dolma taste sour. On the contrary, it will change the taste completely. Instead, you should use (lemon salt) only, except for this, do not use any other type of sour.. Dolma can be not sour. Dolma does not necessary be in sour taste.

 
I hope you like the recipe, try it and give us your opinions.

 

Please comment to share your opinions and observations.