Name: Georgian Tolma in Grape Leaves
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 120 g long-grain white rice, uncooked; About 40 fresh grape leaves (250 g); 450 g 85% lean ground beef; 150 g ground pork; 150 g onion, finely grated or minced; 8 g garlic, finely grated; 20 g fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped; 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped; 2 g ground coriander; 1.5 g ground black pepper; 4 g fine salt; About 750 ml water, or enough to just cover the rolls; 300 g matsoni or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt; 3 g garlic, finely grated; 0.5 g ground cinnamon (a small pinch)

A wide plate of meat-and-rice tolma in grape leaves, with two cut rolls and cool matsoni sauce.

Yieldabout 40 rolls; 4 servings

Preparation35 minutes

Cooking65 minutes

Passive time10 minutes

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The dish

About Georgian Tolma in Grape Leaves

ტოლმა · 4 servings · Moderate · 1 hour 50 minutes

Tolma is a familiar Georgian name for several stuffed dishes. This version uses grape leaves around a compact filling of beef, pork, rice, onion and herbs. The rolls cook close together in a leaf-lined pot, so the leaves stay wrapped and the rice softens as the meat cooks.

The seasoning is restrained: coriander, black pepper, fresh coriander leaves and mint keep the filling fragrant without covering the taste of the meat. A little garlic and cinnamon in a cool matsoni-style sauce gives the warm rolls a bright, dairy-rich accompaniment. Plain whole-milk Greek yogurt works when matsoni is unavailable.

Fresh grape leaves are the measured version here. If only brined leaves are available, rinse them well and omit the salt from the filling; their sodium content varies by brand. The stated nutrition uses fresh leaves and includes the measured salt.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

ტოლმა · 4 servings · Moderate · 1 hour 50 minutes

Tolma

120 glong-grain white rice, uncooked
About 40 fresh grape leaves (250 g)
450 g85% lean ground beef
150 gground pork
150 gonion, finely grated or minced
8 ggarlic, finely grated
20 gfresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
10 gfresh mint, finely chopped
2 gground coriander
1.5 gground black pepper
4 gfine salt
About 750 ml water, or enough to just cover the rolls

Matsoni-style sauce

300 gmatsoni or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
3 ggarlic, finely grated
0.5 gground cinnamon (a small pinch)

Method

Soak the rice. Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Cover with fresh water for 10 minutes, then drain very well.
Soften the leaves. Put the fresh leaves in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain. Trim off tough stems. Keep torn leaves to line the pot.
Mix the filling. Combine beef, pork, drained rice, onion, 8 g garlic, coriander leaves, mint, ground coriander, pepper and salt. Mix just until evenly distributed; do not compact it.
Roll. Set a leaf vein-side up with the stem end toward you. Place about 20 g filling near the stem, fold the sides over it and roll snugly toward the tip. Repeat to make about 40 rolls.
Simmer. Line a heavy pot with torn leaves and arrange tolma seam-side down in snug layers. Pour in enough water to just cover. Set a heatproof plate over the rolls, cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 60–70 minutes, checking occasionally that the pot has not boiled dry; add a little hot water if needed.
Check and serve. Check the centre of the largest roll with a food thermometer: ground meat must reach 71 °C (160 °F), and the rice should be tender. Stir together the matsoni, 3 g garlic and cinnamon. Serve the hot tolma with the cool sauce.

Excerpt

Tender grape leaves wrap a gently seasoned beef, pork and rice filling in this Georgian tolma, served with cool garlic matsoni sauce.

Practical guidance

Use leaves large enough to enclose the filling. If leaves are small, overlap two leaves slightly. Keep each roll snug but do not squeeze the filling hard; rice needs room to expand. A gentle simmer helps keep the rolls intact.

For jarred brined leaves, drain and rinse them in two changes of cold water. Taste a small piece; if still very salty, rinse once more. Omit the 4 g salt. Nutrition will be higher in sodium and depends on the label.

Refrigerate cooked tolma and sauce within 2 hours (within 1 hour when the room is above 32 °C / 90 °F). Keep at or below 4 °C / 40 °F and use within 3–4 days. Reheat tolma to 74 °C / 165 °F.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 10 rolls and about 75 g sauce (about 440 g)
Energy: approximately 585 kcal
Carbohydrates: 43 g
Protein: 41 g
Fat: 28 g
Fibre: 8 g
Sodium: approximately 520 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains milk from matsoni or yogurt. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands and utensils after handling it. Cook until the centre of the largest roll reaches 71 °C / 160 °F on a food thermometer; colour alone cannot confirm doneness. Refrigerate promptly as described above.

To serve

Bring the sauce to the table cool and spoon it over the hot rolls as you eat.
Add a simple tomato and cucumber salad for a fuller meal.