Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Kelem dolmasi: cabbage rolls filled with spiced lamb, rice and chickpeas, steamed and finished in a light tomato sauce.
Kelem dolmasi are cabbage leaves wrapped around a spiced filling of lamb, rice and chickpeas, then simmered slowly in a light tomato sauce. Cinnamon, dill and coriander run through them and give a real depth of flavour. They take a bit of patience to assemble, but they are made for sharing and sit at the centre of a generous table.
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Prep 40 min
Cook 35 min
Total 75 min
Hard
Scale:
- 500g Lamb Mince
- 1 large Cabbage
- 8 oz Onion
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro
- 2 tablespoons Dill
- 2 oz Rice
- 2 oz Chickpeas
- 3 oz Lamb Fat
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 3 tablespoons Water
Nutrition (per serving)
475
kcal
25g
Protein
32g
Carbs
28g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Preparation
- Boil the rice for eight minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion and chop the herbs.
- Roughly chop or lightly mash the chickpeas so they blend into the filling, and mince the lamb along with the lamb fat.
- Using your hands, mix the minced lamb and fat with the onion, spices, chickpeas, rice and chopped herbs, seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
- Fill your largest saucepan with salted water and bring it to the boil. Pull the outer leaves off the cabbage and keep them, then drop the rest in whole and boil for three or four minutes, turning if needed so it cooks all over.
- Carefully lift out the cabbage, keeping the water on the boil, and let it cool for a minute or two. Peel off the leaves, cutting at the base if needed, and try to keep them whole. If the inner leaves are still firm, return the cabbage to the water for another three or four minutes, repeating until all the usable leaves come free.
- Cut out the tough stalks and keep them, then halve the largest leaves. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each leaf, fold the ends over, and roll up tightly like a small burrito.
- Line the bottom of a stockpot with the reserved leaves and stalks, then arrange the dolma on top. Add water to about the level of the spare leaves, without covering the dolma.
- Weigh the dolma down with a heatproof plate and something heavy so they cannot unwrap, bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make a simple sauce by heating the tomato paste and water together over a medium heat for a few minutes. After 25 minutes, pour the sauce over the dolma and cook for a further five minutes.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Blanch the cabbage only until the leaves peel away easily, so they bend without tearing.
- Roll each parcel snugly; loose ones tend to come undone in the pot.
- Line the base of the pan with spare leaves and stalks to cushion the rolls and stop them sticking.
- Set a plate on top to weigh the rolls down so they stay wrapped as they cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Boil the whole cabbage briefly, then peel away the softened outer leaves, returning it to the water as needed to loosen the ones underneath.
Yes. Beef, or a mix of beef and lamb, both work well. The chickpeas and rice keep the filling moist and substantial.
Definitely. Like most stuffed rolls, they taste even better the next day. Just reheat them gently in their sauce.
Yes. Leave out the lamb and bulk up the filling with extra rice, chickpeas, herbs and perhaps some lentils or mushrooms.
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