When I was first introduced to this dish, I was 7-8 years old, and I remember getting attracted to the green, white, and red colors on a highly non-Indian looking entree in front of me. My mother had made Dolma, (a Greek dish modified for a vegetarian. Traditionally, Dolmas are served in grape leaves and the filling could be meat or rice.) Some of the Greek Restaurants serve grape leaves with rice and they have a tangy sour taste to it, which I was not able to relish, after being introduced to this vegetarian version. This version consists of green cabbage, which had the closest resemblance to the leaves, and lettuce was not heard of in India at that point of time. The white sauce on the top flavored with butter, cheese and milk provides a smooth texture atop the soft leaves and rice. When properly cooked, it fills your home with steamed aroma of cabbage and buttery flavor of the sauce that makes you feel hungry, earlier than usual!!
This recipe is a celebratory recipe, as it was awarded the first prize in a cooking contest, won by my mother, and judged by the famous late Mrs. Tarla Dalal. I shall certainly miss Mrs. Dalal’s cooking creativity and guidance to youngsters and deeply regret her passing away this year.
I share this recipe with great delight and as a perfect ending to 2013 with a salute to the two cooking role models for me: my mother and Mrs. Tarla Dalal.
Here’s wishing you all, a delicious, nutritious, healthy, and colorful 2014!
Recipe: 18 pieces of Dolma
Cooking time : 40 min Preparation : 20 min
Ingredients by Volume
For Dolma
- 1 large cabbage
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 1/2 cup shelled green peas
- 20 pieces of cloves
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 litre of water
- Tomato Ketchup for garnishing
For Sauce
- 3 cups milk
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 slices of mozarella cheese
- 1 tsp salted butter
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 drops of lemon juice
- salt to taste
Method For Dolma:
- Slice the base of the cabbage.
- Separate each whole leaf of cabbage very gently, starting from the base.
- Scrape out gently the thick s from the back of the cabbage leaf, keeping the leaf intact.
- Put 1 litre of water to boil in a wide pan, and add a pinch of salt to it.
- When it boils, put 4/5 leaves in a pile to boil in the water.
- Cover and cook for 4 min.
- Wash the rice and soak it in 3 cups of water for about half and hour.
- Flip the leaves with a tong and cook and cover for further 4 min.
- Remove with tongs, and drain the excess water, by putting it over a wide strainer.
- Complete the boiling of the rest of the cabbage leaves and cool.
- Drain the water from the rice.
- Add peas, salt, black pepper and lemon juice to the rice and mix well.
- Take one cabbage leaf, pour 1 tbsp rice/peas mix in the center of the leaf.
- Fold the cabbage leaf inwards from all sides, making a triangle or a round shape
- Insert the clove in the center, to prevent the cabbage leaf from opening.
- Grease the inside of a pressure cooker with 1 tsp melted ghee(butter)
- Place each piece gently into the cooker.
- At the corner, gently pour 1 cup of water.
- Sprinkle some rice/pea mix on top.
Pressure cook to 4 whistles on medium high and remove from flame.- Open the cooker after 20 minutes.
Sauce
- Add cornstarch to 1/2 cup milk and mix it thoroughly.
- Heat 2 1/2 cups of milk, cheese,salt and pepper in a saucepan.
- When it boils, add the cornstarch mixed milk to it and stir continuously.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes on slow- medium flame till the sauce thickens.
Serving the Dolma Place individual dolmas on a plate and pour white sauce on top and garnish with tomato ketchup and serve hot.
Tips:
Using fresh green small size cabbages work the best. When buying cabbage, prefer a cabbage with loosely packed leaves, which will make it easier to remove the leaves. If it is possible to place a lid on top of the dolmas in the cooker, that keeps the rice and aroma in place, while being cooked.
Instinct Factor
Steam the cabbage leaves and rice for about 20 minutes on medium flame, if you do not have a pressure cooker and let it sit for another 20 minutes,
Feel Factor
An aromatic entree that is healthy, colorful, edgy in looks and highly appetizing!!
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