Pilaf with dolma
12 servings
120 minutes
Pilaf with dolma is a culinary symphony of two Eastern classics: fragrant Fergana pilaf and tender dolma wrapped in grape leaves. The origins of the dish date back centuries when pilaf symbolized hospitality and dolma was a sign of refined taste. In this recipe, juicy lamb seasoned with cilantro, coriander, and black pepper becomes the filling for dolma that simmers in the pilaf's zirvak, absorbing its rich flavor. Devzira rice completes the composition by soaking up the juices of meat and spices. The dish's flavor unfolds in every layer: the velvetiness of rice, the spicy meat filling, and the tart freshness of grape leaves. Pilaf with dolma is a dish perfect for festive gatherings, impressing guests with its complexity and rich aroma.
1
Prepare Fergana rice — following the proportions and instructions of the <a href='http://eda.ru/recipe/13859/'>recipe</a> up to the fourth point inclusive.
- Devzira rice: 1 kg
2
Chop the remaining half a kilo of lamb with an axe or pass it through a meat grinder. Dice the remaining 250 grams of onion into small cubes.
- Bone-in lamb: 1.5 kg
- Cilantro: 50 g
3
Pour boiling water over grape leaves. (If you are using fresh ones, this is not necessary. Under no circumstances should salted ones be used for dolma — they will ruin everything.)
- Canned grape leaves: 50 pieces
4
Grind the spices into powder in a mortar.
- Ground black pepper: 1 teaspoon
- Ground coriander: 1 tablespoon
5
Mix the meat with spices, onion, finely chopped cilantro, and finely diced tail fat.
- Bone-in lamb: 1.5 kg
- Ground black pepper: 1 teaspoon
- Ground coriander: 1 tablespoon
- Cilantro: 50 g
- Lamb tail fat (kurdyuk): 550 g
6
Take one of the steamed grape leaves, lay it shiny side down with the stem facing you (if the stem is too long, it should be pinched off) and place half a tablespoon of filling on the fluffy part. Imagine the leaf as a hand, and sequentially fold: thumb, pinky, index, ring — and wrap the resulting fist with the middle finger. Thread each dolma envelope onto a string with a needle. As a result, there should be about three garlands of dolma — whenever it becomes hard to lift, tie the string and start a new one. It is convenient to make them of different diameters to later arrange them in concentric rings in the pot.
- Canned grape leaves: 50 pieces
7
Prepare Fergana pilaf according to the <a href='http://eda.ru/recipe/13859/'>recipe</a>. In the sixth step, after the water with meat and vegetables boils, reduce the heat and add the dolma to the zervak. Simmer it for thirty to forty minutes until the grape leaves are cooked. Then remove the dolma and proceed with the rice as described in the recipe.
- Devzira rice: 1 kg
- Bone-in lamb: 1.5 kg
- Canned grape leaves: 50 pieces
8
Place the dolma on the almost ready pilaf, cover with a lid, set on low heat, and let it sit for twenty minutes. Then cut the strings and serve the pilaf with the dolma.
- Canned grape leaves: 50 pieces