Persian Cuisine
Dolmeh-yeh Barg-e Mow
Ingredients: (4 servings)
- fresh vine leaves, 250 grams
- ground lamb or beef, 250 grams
- long-grain or basmati rice, 100 grams
- herbs: parsley, dill, mint, tarragon, spring onions, 250 grams
- large onions, two
- cooking oil
- tomato paste, two spoons
- salt
- black pepper
- fresh lime juice, 1/2 cup
- sugar, two spoons
Directions:
Fry onions in cooking oil over medium heat until golden. Add ground meat and fry further until meat changes color. Add 1/2 cup water, salt, pepper and tomato paste. Mix and cook further until water boils off.
Wash and finely chop the herbs. Fry in oil over medium heat until wilted. Boil two cups of water in a small pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and rice and boil further until rice softens. Drain the water and let cool slightly.
Mix prepared meat, herbs and rice well. Remove any remaining stems from vine leaves, and wash. Add hot water and salt and boil for 1-2 minutes until leaves soften slightly. Drain water and allow to cool.
Mix lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Add half to the mix prepared earlier, and mix well. Pour 2-3 spoons of oil in a pot. Place 2 or 3 layers of vine leaves in the pot. Stack two leaves covering the cracks, place some of the Dolmeh mix on top and wrap the leaves tightly around it. Repeat until all leaves or the entire mix is used up. Place the dolmeh's in the pot packed together. Add oil and 1/2 glass of hot water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 20-30 minutes. If necessary, add more hot water during cooking. Add the remainder of the lime juice and sugar mix and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Roxana & Farzin Mokhtarian
Jan 2004
