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Vegetarian 'Persian Dolmeh' Cabbage Rolls

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Ingredients
 

  • 1 Head Cabbage
  • 1 Cup Fried Onion
  • 2-3 Cups Basmati Rice Cooked
  • Bunch Dill & Parsley Fresh, Diced
  • 0.5 Tspn Saffron Threads
  • 3 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
  • 1.5 Can Crushed Tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Take your Cabbage and put it in a pot of boiling water for about 45 mins, leave to simmer
  • Remove the cabbage, chop off the heart that is holding it together, then slowly remove the leaves
  • Leave them to cool off
  • Take your cooked basmati rice in a bowl, add the diced herbs and fried onions, mix well
  • Spray some cooking oil lightly in a large heavy duty pot
  • Layer in some cabbage leaves on the bottom to cover it
  • 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!
  • Layer each cabbage roll in the pot
  • Top with a layer of the crushed tomato and then the pomegranate molasses
  • Prepare some saffron stock water with the threads, around 2-3 cups
  • Add a cup of it to the pot and cook on a low-medium heat for about 45-60 mins
  • Add a lid to the pot
  • Check regularly and if the water seems low, then add a bit more of it
  • 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?