Azerbaijani dolma

Ingredients

Quantities for 6 servings.

• 300 g Vine leaves
• 600 g Lamb, minced
• 150 g Rice
• 2 piece Onions
• 50 g Fresh mint
• 50 g Coriander
• 30 g Dill
• 60 g Ghee
• 400 ml Matsoni or yoghurt
• 4 clove Garlic
• 0.5 tsp Cinnamon
• to taste Salt and pepper

Method

1. Scald fresh leaves for a minute; soak preserved ones half an hour in cold water.
2. Rinse the rice and mix it with the mince, finely chopped onion, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
3. Chop all the herbs fine and work them into the filling; their volume should be obvious.
4. Put a teaspoon of filling on each leaf, tuck in the sides and roll it into a tight cylinder a finger thick.
5. Line the bottom of the pot with torn leaves and pack the dolma in tight layers, seam down.
6. Dot the top with ghee, add water level with the top layer and cover with a weighted plate.
7. Cook an hour on a low heat and serve with matsoni whisked with crushed garlic and salt.