Tolma is one of the traditional Armenian dishes. The main ingredients are minced meat and rice, which are wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves, sometimes even stuffed in green pepper or eggplant. There are different recipes to make dolma, but no matter what recipe you choose the taste is guaranteed. It is hard not to fall in love with this incredible dish.
As they say “It’s better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times”. So, we invite you to visit Armenia to participate in Tolma Festival, which will take place on 19 May in Hnaberd town, Ararat region. The Festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture and it has been holding since 2011. During the festival you will not only have the opportunity to taste Tolma, but also to participate in a cultural program with folk songs and dances. 
P.S. If you are interested in the recipe, you can find it here.
Ingredients
1 cabbage, 500 g ground beef meat, 1 large onion (chopped),1/3 cup rice (uncooked), 100 g butter, 1 bunch of parsley, plain tomato sauce (2 small tomatoes), Salt, black pepper, paprika (as needed), 2 cups of water
Instructions
1.Trim away the core of the cabbage,
2.In a large pot, boil water, add salt (the water should be salty), add cabbage leaves and simmer for approximately 5 minutes (don’t overcook), then gently remove them from the pot and set aside.
3.Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix half of the butter, rice, salt pepper, paprika, and other spices of your choice. (This will be the stuffing)
4.Make the sauce by mixing the rest of the butter, tomato sauce, water, onion, spices. Simmer it for 5 to 10 minutes.
5.Take a leaf, place a teaspoonful of stuffing and roll up covering the stuffing.
6.Place the stuffed cabbages in a pot.
7.After each layer pour 4 teaspoons of sauce.
8.Cover the pot, and cook on low heat for 1-2 hours or until the rice is cooked and the meat is tender.
9.Don’t forget to add a teaspoonful of love at the end. Enjoy)
