This Assyrian Cabbage Dolma recipe is vegan-friendly and amazingly delicious! The flavorful filling is enhanced with the sour and slightly sweet tomato sauce the dolma cooks in. The result is tender cabbage rolls that just melt in your mouth! Traditionally, Cabbage Dolma is served as-is, but I like to serve it with a garlic and dill yogurt sauce (see Swiss chard Dolma recipe for more info).
About This Recipe
Cabbage Rolls are prepared by many cultures. This includes Assyrians, Arabs, Armenians, Russians, Pole, and Greeks. As a matter of fact, I even have a Ukrainian Stuffed Cabbage recipe!
Assyrians call this dish "
How to Make This Recipe
STEP 1: Carve the core out of the cabbage using a sharp knife, or a serrated grapefruit knife. Discard the core. Add the cabbage to a large stockpot, and cover it with water. Boil until the leaves begin to soften and start pulling away from the cabbage.
STEP 2: As the leaves change color and become soft and pliable, use tongs to carefully pull away the outer leaves, and place them on a platter.
PRO TIP: Avoid overcooking the leaves which will cause them to fall apart. Continue to strip the leaves away until you’re left with the smaller leaves in the center.
STEP 3: Remove the thick veins from the center of the larger leaves. Use them to line the bottom of an 8-quart Dutch oven. This step is necessary so that the Dolma does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
PRO TIP: Cut the large cabbage leaves into two or three pieces each.
Prepare the Filling
STEP 1: Wash rice, then soak in water and set aside. Chop the parsley and cilantro; add to a large bowl. Mince onion and garlic, and add to the same bowl. Mix in all the filling spices. Strain the rice and add it to the bowl. Finally, add the tomato paste and oil. Mix thoroughly until combined.
How to Roll Cabbage Dolma
STEP 1: Place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each cabbage leaf and roll up to enclose the filling. There's no wrong or right way to do roll the dolma, just avoid making them too big.
STEP 2: Place the dolma in the leaf-lined Dutch oven, seam-side down, in rows until the bottom is covered. After you are done with each layer or dolma, sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill. Continue until you have used up all the cabbage and the filling mixture.
STEP 3: Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. The dolma will release some of its juices, and will partially steam cook. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce.
Tomato Sauce
STEP 1: Whisk tomato paste, water, sugar, citric acid, salt, cayenne pepper, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat.
STEP 2: Pour the sauce over the dolma. Turn heat to the lowest setting and simmer until the juices are absorbed and the rice is tender. This can take anywhere from 1 to 1½ hours.
PRO TIP: Although you're going to want to dig in, have patience. You must allow the dolma to cool for a little bit, or it will fall apart when you're dishing it out.
Expert Tips
- If you run out of cabbage leaves and still have filling remaining, you can use onions. Just peel a medium-sized onion, cut the ends, and make a slit halfway through the onion. Boil for approximately 25 minutes. Strip the onion layers and stuff them with the remaining mixture.
- Another option for lining the bottom of the pot is to use grape leaves instead of the cabbage leaf spines. Make sure you wash them before using them.
- If you're like me and prefer dolma with meat, just replace one cup of rice with one pound of finely diced beef or lamb.
- Some people line the bottom of the pot is lined with steak. The steak cooks in the dolma juices and ends up extremely tender and delicious.
- Some recommend freezing the cabbage instead of boiling it before stuffing it. Although freezing the cabbage does soften it, the cabbage ends up being undercooked since it's not cooked prior to stuffing.
Here's a video of me and mom making cabbage dolma; Check out how sassy she was!
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Dolma / Cabbage Rolls (Doma't Chalama)
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cabbage
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- 1 bunch Italian parsley (chopped)
- 1 bunch cilantro (chopped)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon citric acid
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon dill weed (or ⅓ cup fresh dill)
Sauce:
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon citric acid
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Carve the core out of the cabbage using a sharp knife, or a serrated grapefruit knife. Discard the core. Add the cabbage to a large stockpot, and cover it with water. Boil until the leaves begin to soften and start pulling away from the cabbage.
- As the leaves change color and become soft and pliable, use tongs to carefully pull away the outer leaves, and place them on a platter. Avoid overcooking the leaves which will cause them to fall apart. Continue to strip the leaves away until you’re left with the smaller leaves in the center.
- Remove the thick veins from the center of the larger leaves. Use them to line the bottom of an 8-quart Dutch oven. This step is necessary so that the Dolma does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Cut the large cabbage leaves into two or three pieces each.
Prepare The Filling
- Wash rice, then soak in water and set aside. Chop the parsley and cilantro; add to a large bowl. Mince onion and garlic, and add to the same bowl. Mix in all the filling spices. Strain the rice and add it to the bowl. Finally, add the tomato paste and oil. Mix thoroughly until combined.
How To Roll Cabbage Dolma
- Place approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each cabbage leaf and roll up to enclose the filling. There's no wrong or right way to do roll the dolma, just avoid making them too big.
- Place the dolma in the leaf-lined Dutch oven, seam-side down, in rows until the bottom is covered. After you are done with each layer or dolma, sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill. Continue until you have used up all the cabbage and the filling mixture.
- Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. The dolma will release some of its juices, and will partially steam cook. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce.
Tomato Sauce
- Whisk tomato paste, water, sugar, citric acid, salt, cayenne pepper, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat.
- Pour the sauce over the dolma. Turn heat to the lowest setting and simmer until the juices are absorbed and the rice is tender. This can take anywhere from 1 to 1½ hours.
- Although you're going to want to dig in, have patience. You must allow the dolma to cool for a little bit, or it will fall apart when you're dishing it out.
Notes
- If you run out of cabbage leaves and still have filling remaining, you can use onions. Just peel a medium-sized onion, cut the ends, and make a slit halfway through the onion. Boil for approximately 25 minutes. Strip the onion layers and stuff them with the remaining mixture.
- Another option for lining the bottom of the pot is to use grape leaves instead of the cabbage leaf spines. Make sure you wash them before using them.
- If you're like me and prefer dolma with meat, just replace one cup of rice with one pound of finely diced beef or lamb.
- Some people line the bottom of the pot is lined with steak. The steak cooks in the dolma juices and ends up extremely tender and delicious.
- Some recommend freezing the cabbage instead of boiling it before stuffing it. Although freezing the cabbage does soften it, the cabbage ends up being undercooked since it's not cooked prior to stuffing.
Nutrition
This recipe was published on June 22, 2017 and was edited on December 23, 2020 by rewriting the recipe steps and adjusting the seasoning slightly.
Adonia Rostami says
Shlamalakh Hilda,
I was wondering if there is a version that has meat in the filling. As far as I remember my mom always used to made it with meat. Or maybe this is a vegetarian recipe?
Hilda Sterner says
Shlamalakh Adonia,
Yes, that's the way I prefer and how my mom made it. I started making it without meat for my daughter, who doesn't eat much meat. I mention in the tips on the bottom of the page that if you prefer the dolma with meat, replace one cup of the rice with 1 lb. diced meat (beef or lamb), never ground. Mom wouldn't allow it.😊
Tony Robertson says
Just eat vegetarian! Not every meal needs meat. Save the planet! #meatlessmondays
Vivian says
I enjoyed watching you and your mum making the dolmas , I add plain water when I cook the dolma next time i will follow you recipe and thanks for sharing your video ( nanelikh)
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Vivian,
Thanks for your sweet comment! I wish I had made more videos with her, but I treasure that memory for sure. Let me know what you think of the dolma!
Emilia says
I am Armenian American with parents from Iran and I made this with 1 cup yellow lentils 1 cup kidney beans and 1 cup rice. It was so delicious and tasted just how my grandma made it. Thank you for sharing ?
HildaSterner says
Hi Emilia,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review. I would have never thought of adding lentils and kidney beans. Now I want to try that, it sounds amazing. I know Armenian food is very similar to Assyrian food, so I'm not surprised it tasted like your Grandmother's Dolma. That generation could cook!
Michelle says
Than you for all the amazing content! I love this idea Emilia used. My husband is Armenian and his mother makes amazing dolma. I am looking forward to making this recipe as I have not nearly perfected mine. May I ask for clarification regarding whether the rice is cooked or not? Thank you again.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Michelle,
I don't cook the rice prior to adding it to the stuffing mixture. It cooks in the dolma juices. 😋 Since Emilia's comment, I've discovered that my aunt (mom's older sister) used to add lentil to her dolma too. I learned this from someone that knew her in Australia. The last time I saw her I was probably around 8. I'm sure she learned that from my grandmother, but not sure why mom never made it that way.