Yarpaq dolması
Non-vegetarian
Small, tight parcels of vine leaves filled with herb-flecked lamb and rice, gently simmered and served warm with garlic yogurt.
Yarpaq dolması is an Azerbaijani main course, ready in about 2 hours and made with grape (vine) leaves in brine and ground lamb. It serves 5 and is rated intermediate to cook.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 2 h
- Serves
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 429
Method
Step 1
Mix the lamb, rice, onion (opens in a new tab), dill (opens in a new tab), cilantro (opens in a new tab), mint (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) thoroughly.
- 8 min
Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw meat.
Step 2
Lay a leaf shiny side down, stem towards you. Put a small spoonful of filling near the stem, fold in the sides and roll up firmly into a small cylinder. Repeat, keeping a few torn leaves aside.
- 40 min
Step 3
Line the pan with the spare leaves and pack the dolma in tightly, seam side down, in layers. Dot with butter (opens in a new tab), pour over the hot water and weigh down with a small upturned plate.
Step 4
Cover and simmer very gently until the rice and meat are cooked and the leaves are tender.
- 60 min
- low heat
Food safety: The filling should reach 71 °C.
Step 5
Mix the yogurt (opens in a new tab) with the garlic (opens in a new tab) and a pinch of salt. Rest the dolma 10 minutes, then serve warm with the yogurt.
- 2 min
How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedStuffed vine leaves are shared by Azerbaijani, Armenian, Georgian, Turkish, Persian, Greek and Arab cooking.Also popular in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Türkiye, Iran
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Appetizers & starters
- Cooking method
- Simmered
- Taste
- savoury, herby, tangy
- Diet
- No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredientsWith the listed swaps: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Calorie-conscious - Good for
- Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
- Cook more with
- Grape (vine) leaves in brine · Ground lamb · Short-grain rice · Onion · Dill · Coriander leaves
- Techniques
- Simmering
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter, yogurt
- May contain: Sulphitesfrom grape (vine) leaves in brine
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
429 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 291 g · recipe makes 5
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 19%
- Carbohydrate 20%
- Fat 61%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 429 kcal | 147 kcal |
| Protein | 19.9 g | 6.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 21.7 g | 7.5 g |
| Net carbohydrate | — | — |
| Sugars | — | — |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | — | — |
| Fat | 29.2 g | 10 g |
| Saturated fat | 13.4 g | 4.6 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 86 mg | 29 mg |
| Sodium | 1482 mg | 509 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 3.7 g | 1.3 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 362 mg
- Calcium
- 154 mg
- Iron
- 3.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 40 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- —
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.3 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 64 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: yogurt, garlic.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Roll them small — Azerbaijani cooks take pride in dolma no bigger than a finger.
Common mistakes
- Packing the dolma loosely lets them unroll as they cook.
Serve with
- Serve with garlic yogurt, flatbread and black tea.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge; freezes well.
Reheating
- Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water.
Variations
- Kalam dolması: Cabbage leaves stuffed with a similar filling, often with chestnuts and a sweet-sour sauce.
- Üç bacı dolması: "Three sisters": stuffed tomatoes, peppers and eggplants cooked together in summer.
History
Azerbaijan's tradition of making and sharing dolma was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2017.
Confidence: Well documented
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Grape (vine) leaves in brine45 leaf · 180 g
- Ground lamb, finely minced (traditionally minced twice)500 g
- Short-grain rice, rinsed80 g
- Butter30 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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