Iraqi Dolma

Iraqi Dolma is a savory mix of rice, meat and spices stuffed into vegtables like grape leaves, eggplant and peppers, then simmered in a tangy tomate-pomegrante sauce and served flipped like a cake.

Iraqi Dolma

🍽 Servings: 6–8 | ⏱ Prep: 1 hr | 🍲 Cook: 1.5 hrs

Ingredients

🍅 Vegetables (for stuffing)

Choose a mix of the following (aim for ~15–20 stuffed pieces total):

8–10 grape leaves, fresh or jarred

2–3 zucchini, small to medium

2–3 eggplants, small and slender

2–3 bell peppers or long green peppers

2 tomatoes (firm, not overripe)

1–2 onions (parboiled and peeled for stuffing)

🍖 Filling (meat and rice)

1.5 cups short-grain rice, rinsed and soaked for 30 min

300g (about 10 oz) ground beef or lamb, or a mix

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or lemon juice if unavailable)

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Salt and black pepper to taste

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp olive oil

🍅 Cooking Sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

2–3 tbsp lemon juice

2–3 tbsp olive oil

2 cups hot water or broth

Optional: 1 tbsp sugar (for a sweet-sour flavor)

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the Vegetables

Grape Leaves: Rinse if jarred, soak in hot water for 10 min to soften.

Zucchini, Eggplants, Tomatoes: Hollow out with a corer, leaving about 1/4” shell.

Onions: Cut off ends, boil whole for 5–10 minutes, peel layers apart carefully.

Peppers: Remove tops and seeds.

2. Make the Filling

Mix the soaked rice with ground meat, chopped onion, garlic, parsley, spices, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Combine thoroughly with hands or a spoon. Do not pre-cook the filling—rice will cook with the dolma.

3. Stuff the Vegetables

Fill each veggie 3/4 full to allow rice to expand.

For grape leaves: Place a spoonful of filling, fold sides, and roll tightly.

For onions: Use softened layers to wrap like cigars.

4. Assemble in the Pot (Traditional Upside-Down Method) Line the bottom of a deep pot with tomato slices, potato slices, or discarded veggie scraps to prevent burning.

Arrange the rolled grape leaves at the bottom, then layer stuffed vegetables on top, tightly packed.

Place heavier veggies like peppers and tomatoes on top to help press everything down.

5. Prepare and Add the Sauce

In a bowl, mix tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, olive oil, hot water/broth, and optional sugar.

Pour the sauce over the dolma layers, just enough to reach the top layer (don’t fully submerge).

Place a heavy plate or lid smaller than the pot on top to prevent floating.

6 . Cook

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours, until rice and veggies are fully cooked and sauce is absorbed.

Check occasionally; add a bit more hot water if needed.

7. Serve (the Signature Inversion!)

Let the dolma rest for 10–15 min after cooking.

Place a large tray or platter over the pot, then flip the pot upside-down in one swift motion.

Lift the pot to reveal the dolma “cake”—a colorful, aromatic tower.

🍋 Serving Tips

Serve with fresh lemon wedges, yogurt or laban, and flatbread.

Best enjoyed warm, but leftovers are delicious cold too.

📝 Optional Add-ins & Tips

Add a few cloves of garlic or slices of onion between layers for extra aroma.

Some Iraqi families add a sprinkle of cooked chickpeas between layers.

The pomegranate molasses gives that iconic sweet-sour flavor—try not to skip it!