[Sca-cooks] 16th c. Safavid dulma-ye kalam (stuffed cabbage leaves)

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

The subject of dolma comes up here occasionally, so here is more 
"food for thought"...


 From the Safavid Persian cookbook, "Maddat al-khayat, resala dar 
elm-e tabbaki" (The substance of life, a treatise on the art of 
cooking), dated to 1594/5 and written by Ostad Nurollah, the head 
chef of Shah Abbas I (r. 1587-1629)

Dulma-ye kalam [stuffed cabbage]

This is cooked by the people of Rum [Ottoman Turks] very often. In 
Iran it is not well known. How it is made : Brown finely chopped 
meat. Then prepare rice, which was mixed with chickpeas, onions, 
crushed spices and salt. Break down the cabbage into leaves, blanch 
each, then wrap the chopped meat and the rice in the cabbage leaves. 
Then put this into a pot, drip some clear meat broth and melted fat 
into it, and let it simmer.
(my translation)

The Persians drank a lot of wine, and would have vine leaves 
available, but they apparently are not used in this recipe.
-- 
Urtatim [that's err-tah-TEEM]
the persona formerly known as Anahita