Georgian Tolma (Grape Leaf Dolma with Herbed Meat Filling)

About This Recipe

Georgian Tolma is a real, traditional Georgian dish, known as Grape Leaf Dolma with Herbed Meat Filling. Grape leaves rolled around a spiced rice and ground meat filling, simmered gently and served with a tangy garlic-yogurt sauce.\n\nTolma reflects the broad Caucasus and Middle Eastern tradition of stuffed grape leaves, with the Georgian version distinguished by its liberal use of fresh herbs and a serving alongside matsoni (Georgian yogurt) sauce.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Georgian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 50grape leaves(fresh or jarred, rinsed)
• 400 gground beef and lamb mix
• 100 gshort-grain rice
• 1yellow onion(finely diced)
• 3 tbspchopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tbspchopped fresh mint
• 1 tspkhmeli suneli
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 500 mlwater or stock
• 200 mlplain yogurt or matsoni(to serve)
• 2garlic cloves(minced, for sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep the leaves

   If using jarred grape leaves, rinse well to remove excess brine; if fresh, blanch briefly to soften.

2. 2

   Make the filling

   Combine ground meat, rice, onion, cilantro, mint, khmeli suneli, salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Roll the leaves

   Place a spoonful of filling near the stem end of each leaf, fold in the sides, and roll tightly into a small cylinder.

4. 4

   Arrange and simmer

   Line the bottom of a pot with a few extra leaves, then pack the rolled tolma tightly in layers. Add water or stock to just cover, place a plate on top to weigh them down, and simmer covered for 45 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

5. 5

   Make the yogurt sauce

   Mix plain yogurt or matsoni with minced garlic and a pinch of salt.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve the tolma warm with the garlic-yogurt sauce for dipping.

Variations

• •

  A vegetarian version uses extra rice, herbs and sometimes lentils instead of meat.

• •

  Some households add a splash of lemon juice to the cooking liquid for extra brightness.

• •

  Serve with a simple tomato sauce instead of yogurt sauce as an alternative.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions