Pazı dolması (rice-stuffed chard)

Pazı dolması (pah-zuh dohl-mah-suh) has a delicate, spinach-like flavour from the chard leaves, which pairs beautifully with the lemony rice filling. Compared to yalancı dolma (which shares its ingredients), it has a softer bite. This dish is perfect for the summer months when chard is in season, especially served with a dollop of creamy yoghurt. It can be enjoyed either warm or cold.

Preparing pazı dolması can be a little fiddly at first, as the cut leaves can be triangular or rectangular in shape. But you quickly get into the rhythm of things once you start making them as they follow the same 'envelope and roll' technique as yalancı dolma.

For the best results, use medium-grain rice, which keeps the filling soft and tender, even when served cold. Long-grain rice won’t give the same texture and tends to harden once cooled.

Serves 4 to 6 | Preparation time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 1 hour | Additional time: 10 minutes to rest after cooking

Ingredients

Chard preparation
1kg chard (approx 30-40 large leaves), washed well and drained	Hot water
Filling	​Final preparation
600g medium grain white rice, washed well and drained	​1 (150g) medium potato, peeled and cut into 0.5cm thick slices
​2 medium onions, finely chopped	1 medium onion, sliced into half-moon shapes
​400g tinned chopped tomatoes	​50ml lemon juice, or as desired
100g halloumi, finely grated	​50ml olive oil, plus extra
​100ml extra virgin olive oil	​250ml hot water, plus extra
125ml lemon juice, or as desired	​1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
​125ml cold water	​1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
​2 tsp dried mint
​¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground black pepper
​1 tsp salt, or as desired

Hob heat settings

Method

Leaf preparation:

1. Cut the stalks off from all the leaves and leave to one side - they will be used later.

2. Add hot water to a large bowl. Take around 5 leaves at a time and dip them into the hot water with tongs for 5-15 seconds, or until they are soft. Rinse the soft leaves gently with cold water and place them in a colander to drain.

3. For small leaves that are around 10-15 cm in size, you can fill them directly, so leave them as they are. If the leaves are larger than this, you can cut them into 2-3 parts that are each around 10-15cm in size (see picture below). To do this, you will need to cut the top third where the vein in the centre is thin and soft. For the lower part of the leaf, where the vein is much thicker and harder, remove and discard it and use the two leaf parts on either side for filling. You can cut the leaves in advance or as you are filling the leaves.

   

   
   

Dolma preparation:

1. Prepare the filling by mixing all the listed filling ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Lay out each prepared chard leaf flat, vein side-up, shiny side down. Add ½ to 2 teaspoons of filling (depending on the size of the leaf) to the centre and 1 to 2 cm from the bottom.

   

   
   

3. Fold the leaf once from the bottom.

   

   
   

4. Then, fold the leaf from the right and left to create an envelope.

   

   
   

5. Finally, roll the leaf inwards, gripping it tightly around the filling, so that it all tucks in and there are no loose edges. It should hold itself without unravelling.

   

   
   

Preparing the dolma for cooking:

1. Lightly oil a large saucepan with olive oil (we use one that is 24cm in width). Lay out the sliced potato and onion across the bottom (see ‘final preparation’ ingredients), as well as the chard stalks you cut off earlier.

2. Layer the prepared dolma in rows in a similar way to yalancı dolma. With each new layer, ensure the dolma are laid out in the opposite direction to the layer below.

3. Mix the stock cube with the lemon juice, tomato paste, olive oil and hot water (see ‘final preparation’ ingredients), and pour over the dolma. Place 1 to 2 spare leaves on top to evenly cover and then a small plate on top to leave a 2 cm gap around the edges (this prevents the dolma opening up while simmering).

4. Top up with enough hot water so that it is 1 cm above the top of the dolma.

Cooking the dolma:

1. Place on a medium-high heat while loosely covered for 5-10 minutes or until it starts to lightly bubble constantly. Reduce to a medium-low heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rice is cooked inside the dolma.

2. Leave the pazı dolması to settle for at least 10 minutes before serving (they will fall apart if you serve them sooner). Serve warm or cold with yoghurt on the side.