CABBAGE ROLLS STUFFED WITH LEGUMES, HERBS, SPELT + RICE

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filling:
18 oz red kidney beans or borlotti beans, soaked overnight
18 oz chickpeas, soaked overnight
18 oz yellow peas
2 1/2-to-3 cups vegetable oil
2 1/4 lbs onion, diced
1 tablespoon ground red Aleppo pepper
dried savory leaves or thyme, to taste
dried basil leaves, just a little
4 tablespoons tomato paste
18 oz green lentils, washed and drained, uncooked
1 1/2-to-2 cups spelt or bulgur
1 1/4 cups short-grain white rice
1 tablespoon salt
black pepper
fresh cilantro leaves, to taste, cut into thin strips
fresh parsley leaves, to taste, cut into thin strips

one (or more) large head of cabbage, rinsed, cored, leaves separated
6-to-7 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
a large bowl of iced water

cooking sauce:
tomato and red pepper pastes
pomegranate molasses
lemon juice
hot water
olive oil

Cook red kidney beans, chickpeas and yellow peas separately until soft yet still firm. Drain, reserving liquid for filling, then set aside until ready to use.

Prepare filling. In a large pan, add oil and onions and cook over medium heat until onions turn slightly golden. Stir in red pepper, savory and basil and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add tomato paste and mix to combine. Gently fold in cooked beans, peas and chickpeas. Add some of the reserved cooking liquids. Add lentils, spelt/bulgur and rice and mix until thoroughly combined. Season mixture with salt, black pepper, cilantro and parsley. Cover and cook on low heat for about 15-to-30 minutes until lentil and grains are cooked al dente.

Meanwhile, prepare cabbage leaves. In a pot, bring water and salt to a gentle boil. Blanch cabbage leaves in hot water, a few at a time, until softened then immediately immerse in ice water. Transfer into a colander to drain and repeat. Once cooled, drain with a paper towel and shave down the thick part of the stem using a small knife until level with the leaf.

Assemble dolma. Place a cabbage leaf on a clean surface with stem end closest to you. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling at the center bottom (thickest part) about 2-inches from the edge. Fold the base over filling and roll until completely covered. Fold the left edge in and continue rolling till the end – the right end stays open at this point. Now, gather the loose ends of the leaf and neatly push into the center, towards filling, until right edge is completely sealed. Repeat.

Have ready a heavy-bottomed pot and cover the bottom with torn or thick cabbage leaves. In a small bowl, mix together a little bit of tomato and pepper pastes, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice.

Cook dolma. Arrange rolled cabbage leaves, seam side down, in prepared pot; drizzling each layer in between with the tomato-lemon mixture and a light sprinkle of salt. Once all rolls are transferred into pan, add hot water (from the side of the pan) until just, or about an inch or so, under rolls. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes until done to your liking. Gently drain all liquid, drizzle with olive oil, and set aside to cool to room temperature – do not remove from pot.

Transfer cabbage rolls onto a platter, cover tightly and refrigerate at least overnight or preferably for a day before serving.

recipe adapted from Sveta Sargsyan, via ArmeniaNow