How to cook dolma and stuffed cabbage: instructions from Alik Mkrtchyan

Chef, finalist of the MasterChef. Professionals, Alik Mkrtchyan shared his recipe for Armenian dolma and Ukrainian cabbage rolls.

Alik, who is called the god of meat in restaurant circles, makes grape leaf rolls according to his mother-in-law's recipe. He prefers to make Ukrainian "rolls" only from young cabbage, which, he says, makes the dish bright in color and delicate in taste.

In fact, the principle of cooking these dishes is very similar: in both cases, the filling is wrapped in leaves. But while Ukrainian cabbage rolls use cabbage leaves, dolma, which is popular among Eastern peoples, uses finely chopped meat and rice wrapped in pickled grape leaves.

Alik's Armenian dolma

"I love Armenian dolma very much and always order it in a restaurant to compare it with the delicious dolma my mother-in-law makes. Her dolma is completely different and very different from the one my mother or I make," says Alik.

According to him, everything is important in Armenian dolma: what kind of minced meat you use, what kind of herbs, and most importantly, "how lovingly you collected the grape leaves in early spring."

"It's the grape leaves that give dolma its characteristic flavor, so I advise you to find the most beautiful and delicious grape leaves. You can usually find them canned," says Alik.

For dolma you will need:

• grape leaves
• meat (pork or beef)
• fleshy tomatoes
• onions
• parsley
• dill
• cilantro
• thyme
• chili pepper
• washed round rice (raw)
• salt
• a piece of butter (if the pork is fat, you can do without butter)

How to cook:

1. Rinse the meat well until light in color: this is necessary to get rid of the heavy meat flavor. Put the washed meat in a colander to drain.
2. Finely chop the meat with a knife and mix it with the raw rice. Add salt, pepper, and finely chopped herbs. If you have lean meat, add a piece of butter. Mix the minced meat well. Stuff the grape leaves with the mixture and roll them up. Put them in a saucepan.
3. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel and cut into slices, add to the pot with the dolma. Pour water over the dolma, cover it with a plate, and close the lid. Cook for two hours over low heat.

According to Alik, tomatoes "add sourness and give the dolma color and fullness of flavor."

"Another important thing is how to roll the grape leaves with minced meat. My mother-in-law's dolmas are special because she twists them toward her, holding them with her thumb. This way she makes them thin and long," says Alik.

Ukrainian cabbage rolls by Alik

"I only make cabbage rolls from young cabbage: the light green cabbage leaves turn bright green after heat treatment," says Alik.

He uses olive oil for sautéing, and does not fry the carrots and onions, but bakes them in the oven. Alik advises using any kind of stuffing for cabbage rolls: it can be classic pork and beef, beef and turkey, chicken, or just beef.

For stuffed cabbage you will need:

• minced meat - 2 kg
• young cabbage
• rice - 0.5 kg
• sausage - 0.7 kg
• salt - to taste
• pepper - to taste
• tomato juice
• sour cream

How to cook:

1. Prepare the sauté. Peel the onions and carrots, cut them into slices, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for one hour in a 170-degree oven. Alik says that you can sprinkle the vegetables with sugar to enhance the flavor of the carrots, but it is not necessary; if the carrots are sweet on their own, this flavor will be enough.
2. Mix the rice with the minced meat. Stuff the cabbage rolls with the rice and minced meat mixture. Put the baked vegetables on the bottom of the pan, put the cabbage rolls in a circle on top, pour tomato juice and sour cream, and add a little water.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1.5-2 hours.

"The cabbage rolls are extremely tender and very tasty. The secret is in the flavorful sautéing," says Alik.