Armenian Lenten Grape Leaf Tolma with Legumes
Armenian lenten tolma with legumes, an authentic vegan delicacy that can be enjoyed both warm and cold. This recipe artfully combines three distinct types of legumes, each lending its own distinct texture and flavor.
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Ingredients
- 250 g grape leaves
- 150 g garbanzo beans
- 150 g lentil
- 100 g red beans
- 50 g bulgur
- 150 g onion
- 75 g olive oil
- 1 tablespoon barberries
- 8-10 cranberries
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Legume Stuffing
- In a big bowl add all the beans, lentils, and bulgur.
- In a frying pan add the olive oil and saute the diced onions over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. The onion will start sizzling and gradually change from translucent to a golden brown.
- Pour the caramelized onion with the oil onto the bean mixture and toss them all together.
- Add the chopped herbs; season with salt, pepper, and cranberries.
Preparing Grape Leaves
- Pull the grape leaf bundles from the jar, and soak them in hot water for 5 minutes to remove the metallic brine taste and any unnecessary brining salts.
- Trim the grape leaf stems if they are too long.
- Open and smoothen the leaves and place them shiny side down on a flat surface.
Assembling and Cooking tolma
- Place the grape leaves (shiny face down) on a surface.
- Put a spoonful of stuffing on top of each leave, just under the stem cavity, and form an oblong cylindrical shape across the leaf. With your hands, help the filling to stay in place.
- Start folding: Bring the leaf base over the filling and tuck it in.
- Then fold the sides and keep rolling into cigar shape little logs. They should not be too tight or too loose but rather firm.
- In a cooking pot arrange a few grape leaves on the bottom of the pan, and start arranging the rolled tolmas along the perimeter and spiral inwards.
- Once all the tolmas are arranged, place a non-reactive plate (that is a little bit smaller than the cooking pot) upside down and on top of the tolmas to keep them intact and submerged.
- Pour water carefully, just to a level, that it washes-off the edges of the plate.
- Place pot on a stove and bring to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, dial the heat down to the lowest setting and cook slowly for 30-40 minutes.
Notes
Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.
