Dolmeh Barg-e Mo

Dolmeh barg-e mo is a vegetarian version of Persian stuffed vine leaves, filled with rice, split peas and herbs and cooked in a sweet-sour sauce.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 1h
Cook: 55 min
Total: 1 hour 55 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 250g jarred vine leaves in brine (about 50 leaves)
  • 150g long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 60g yellow split peas
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 30g fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 20g fresh mint, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • For the sauce:
  • 300ml water
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 potato, sliced, to line the pot

Method

  1. Soak the vine leaves in hot water for 10 minutes, rinse well and drain. Trim any hard stems.

  2. Boil the split peas in water for 10-12 minutes until half cooked, and drain.

  3. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for 8 minutes until soft. Stir in the turmeric, then the rice, split peas, herbs, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

  4. Lay a leaf vein side up, place 1 tbsp of filling near the stem end, fold in the sides and roll up firmly, without over-tightening as the rice expands.

  5. Line a wide pot with the sliced potato and any torn leaves. Arrange the rolls seam side down in tight layers.

  6. Mix the water, lemon juice, sugar and oil and pour over. Weigh the rolls down with a heatproof plate.

  7. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 45-50 minutes until the rice is tender. Cool in the pot and serve warm or cold with yoghurt.