Dolma with Tomato Sauce
Juicy and incredibly tasty rolls made from grape leaves! Tomato sauce makes the dolma very aromatic and rich. You can use frozen, pickled, or fresh grape leaves. Use any minced meat, or even mix several kinds.
Updated : 25 February, 2026
Easy
About 45 min.
Ingredients
150 grams
Grape leaves
5 tablespoon
Rice
400 grams
Ground meat
3
Tomato
2
Onion
3
Garlic
50 milliliters
Vegetable oil
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
to taste
Greens
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make dolma? Prepare all the necessary ingredients. The minced meat in this recipe was pork. I used pickled grape leaves. First, rinse the rice until the water runs clear and cook it separately until half-done. Drain in a colander and rinse with clean water.
Step 2
Add the rice to the minced meat.
Step 3
Peel and rinse the onion. Finely chop one onion and add it to the rice and minced meat. Season with salt and pepper. At this stage you can add your favorite dried spices; I added ground red pepper and a pinch of khmeli-suneli.
Step 4
Knead the mixture until smooth and uniform.
Step 5
Unfold a grape leaf. Place a small amount of filling near where the stem was attached, as in the photo.
Step 6
Fold the leaf over the filling from one side, then the other, and roll it up into a neat little roll.
Step 7
Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
Step 8
Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent.
Step 9
Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt, and simmer over high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring.
Step 10
Take a thick-bottomed pot or use a pan with high sides. Add one third of the tomato sauce to the pot, arrange the grape-leaf rolls, and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
Step 11
Place a small weight on top of the rolls (I use a flat saucer for this). If your sauce isn’t very runny (this depends on how juicy the tomatoes are and on the variety), add a little boiling water so it almost covers the rolls. Cover with a lid and bring to a strong simmer over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 30-40 minutes.
Step 12
At the end, if there is too much liquid left, I remove the lid, turn the heat to maximum, and let it reduce until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Sprinkle the finished dish with herbs and add pepper to taste.
Author note
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