Persian ‘Dolmeh’ Cabbage Rolls
Persian Dolmeh (cabbage rolls) are a hearty, wholesome and filling option to try out this week. Enjoy them as a side dish or a main course.
Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Serves
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Effort
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Persian ‘Dolmeh’ Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients
1 Head Cabbage
1 Cup Fried Onion
2-3 Cups Basmati RiceCooked
Bunch Dill & ParsleyFresh, Diced
0.5 Tspn Saffron Threads
3 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
1.5 Can Crushed Tomatoes
Method
1
Take your Cabbage and put it in a pot of boiling water for about 45 mins, leave to simmer
2
Remove the cabbage, chop off the heart that is holding it together, then slowly remove the leaves
3
Leave them to cool off
4
Take your cooked basmati rice in a bowl, add the diced herbs and fried onions, mix well
5
Spray some cooking oil lightly in a large heavy duty pot
6
Layer in some cabbage leaves on the bottom to cover it
7
Then slowly take your cabbage leaves and from the heartier end, add a couple of tablespoons of the rice fillings. Then roll them like a mini burrito!
8
Layer each cabbage roll in the pot
9
Top with a layer of the crushed tomato and then the pomegranate molasses
10
Prepare some saffron stock water with the threads, around 2-3 cups
11
Add a cup of it to the pot and cook on a low-medium heat for about 45-60 mins
12
Add a lid to the pot
13
Check regularly and if the water seems low, then add a bit more of it
14
After an hour your Dolmeh should be ready! Remove carefully, plate and enjoy.
Notes
Leaning into my Persian heritage with this ‘dolmeh’ recipe that I poured my heart over this weekend. I was craving hearty, wholesome, and healthy food with a vegetarian twist.
Dolmeh are rolls that can be made with plenty of veggies, but most popularly with cabbage leaves or grape leaves.
The more I think about it, could ‘Dolmeh’ be one of the most widespread dishes? From Russia, through to Egypt, from Iraq to Poland and of course here in Bahrain. We all have our own versions of these hearty little rolls.
I was grateful to find an instructional video online to make sure I had the technique down, but from there I completely freestyled my stuffing to suit my tastes.
I used a combination of cooked basmati, fried onions, plenty of fresh dill and parsley then a smidge of chopped dates. It was layered in the pot with crushed tomatoes and then topped with pomegranate molasses and a bit of saffron stock water, before cooking for an hour.
What is your favourite kind of dolmeh? Do you have them in your country?
Recipe from https://hungryfifi.com/recipes/persian-dolmeh-cabbage-rolls/
Fifi
Persian by heritage, British by upbringing. Currently writing The Bahrain Almanac, out end of 2026.