My absolute favorite New Year festivity dish from Armenian cuisine: Pasuts Tolma / stuffed cabbage leaves. This flavorful and tasty Tolma is one of the most popular among all the various Holiday dishes.Very simple to make and the best part is that Pasuts Tolma can be made ahead of time , freeze and thawed before serving. It’s a cold appetizer that tastes much better the next day, as it sets and comes together during a few hours.
Give this Armenian dish a try, I can promise it will become your next favorite food to serve and enjoy.
Ingredients
900 grams ( one large jar) pickled cabbage leaves, washed drained (I’ll put the directions on how to make your own pickled cabbage after the recipe )
2 cans (15 oz each/450 grams) beans ,preferably red kidney beans ( I also use pinto or white beans)
1 can lentil (16-18 oz)
1 can chickpeas (15oz)
¾ cup fine bulgur (use #1 grind)
1 large onion, finely chopped or minced
5-7 tbs oil ( I use extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs red pepper sauce ( paste)
½ tsp ground pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cayenne, red chili flakes ( optional, you can spice it to your taste)
½ tsp ground coriander
2-3 tsp dried greens, such as dill,basil, thyme
3-4 tbs chopped fresh greens, such as dill, cilantro and parsley
1 tsp salt ( don’t put too much salt as the pickled cabbage is quite salty)
6-8 dried sour plums ( regular black prune will work as well) optional
1 ½ – 2 cups of boiling hot water
Directions
Wash and drain cabbage leaves, set aside
Finely chop the onions and sautée with oil until light golden color, stir in tomato and red pepper paste
Mix and cook another 2-3 minutes on medium heat
Remove from the heat and set aside
In a large bowl combine: beans,lentil,bulgur, spices, salt, fresh and dried greens, add sautéed onions mixture as well
Mix everything to incorporate
Stuff the cabbage leaves with a good amount of the mixture ( depends how big you want to make the Tolma, originally Pasus Tolma is quite large)
Place the wrapped stuffed cabbage leaves inside your cooking pot, arrange them side by side ,very closely ( refer to YouTube video for detailed instructions)
Place the sour plums on top of the last layer ( I also add a few dried chili peppers for extra spiciness )
Place a plate on top of the last layer and pour the hot water over ( I add a pinch of salt to the water, as we like it a bit salty)
Cook on medium heat,with half way covered lid, 25-30 minutes
Remove from the heat and allow to set at least an hour before serving
Quick instructions on how to make your own pickled cabbage leaves
You will need a medium cabbage head
Water
Salt ( garlic, dry bay leaves ,whole black pepper ,optional )
Start by boiling a large pot of water
Meanwhile wash and remove the hard center from your cabbage
Carefully place the entire cabbage into hot boiling water ,turn upside down a few times to make sure both sides cook evenly
It should cook about 10-15 minutes or until the cabbage it slightly translucent
Remove from boiling water and set aside to cool down, gently separate the leaves and lay them in a deep pot,ready for brining ( optionally ,you can add some garlic cloves,bay leaves and pepper for more flavor )
Prepare the brine by simply mixing together cold filtered water and salt, proportions : to one cup of water add one tablespoon of salt , make as much brine as you need to cover the cabbage leaves
Cover the pot with a lid and place it at room temperature for 5-7 days
The pickled cabbage leave will be ready by then
Ингредиенты
Листья квашеной капусты 250-300 г заранее вареная чечевица , фасоль, нут и булгур (не надо варить) 1 крупный репчатый лук 3-4 ст л растительное масло 2 ч л томатная паста 1.5 ст л паста перца Зубчик чеснока
Специи
зелень и припраы не вкус : Я беру: красный, чёрный и белый молотый перец, карри , кориандр, зира, паприка, кайен Сушеный базилик , укроп, цитрон Свежая петрушка, кинза, укроп Кипяток Соль
