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Three days ago, I received a letter from my foreign friend, - “Nata, what do you cook in Armenia for a New Year’s dinner? – she asked. “Something traditionally Armenian”. “Pasuts dolma?” - I answered in the blink of an eye. And then she asked: “How do you cook it?”. Hm…

Good question! It is a classical case when every cook has own treasured recipe “from mother”, “from grandma”, “from mother-in-law” and “from mother-in-law of the mother-in-law”... Which recipe should I suggest? And is there a “classical” one? I am calling an ethnographer, Ruzanna Tsaturyan for the answers.

The recipe “Pasuts Dolma varies from region to region”, - explains Ruzanna. “It all depends on local traditions, agronomy, ecology…  There are still places in Armenia, like Vayots Dzor, where the version with grape leaves is rather popular. In some regions dolma is made with flax and rose hip oil (animal fats are excluded because it’s a fasting dish). In other areas, some processed pumpkin and hemp seeds might be mixed with oils.  The richness of the dish, a beautiful and well-balanced combination of its ingredients, and their abundance - everything is meant to speak of the fertility of this year and its continuation in the future”.

Well, I can imagine rose hip oil and even a flax one, but the hemp seeds? How that might taste? “Ask the Audience”, so to say: I’m calling Arevik Martirosyan – a chef of Tsaghkunk Restaurant and Glkhatun.

“Have you ever tried pasuts-dolma made of hemp seeds?” – I ask.

“Yes, and I liked it. It’s made in the area of Vardenis and you can’t imagine what a laborious and time-consuming cooking process that is! It’s certainly not a one-man show: several families gather together, and each woman does her part of the job. In my husband’s home region, the hemp seeds are still processed by stone to get the porridge-like consistency. Then it is boiled down and so forth – it’s a multistep endeavour, but it’s worth the effort - the dolma is really tasty. Once I made it myself out of curiosity and as a challenge. It was close to the original, but Gee, it required time!”

“Which version of pasuc-dolma was made at your home where you were growing up?”

“My great-grandmother was from Izmit town, so her pasuts-dolma was a local variation – stuffed with rice, onions, heaps of various herbs and dried regan.”

At that particular moment, I have remembered the one that Arevik presented at the international Gastro Week in Tbilisi.

“Guess what?” - I said, - “I declare my own nomination - “the most gorgeous pasuts-dolma that I have tried this year” and the prize goes to you!

“Oh, thank you,” - Arevik laughed over the phone, - “it’s actually an Armenian traditional dolma. I have just added some bits and pieces of my own, as I usually do.”

“Some bits and pieces of your own and bingo - your dolma disappeared in a second and followed by enthusiastic comments. Could you please share the recipe, as I want to surprise my guests this year?”

“With pleasure. So, you will need…”

Arevik Martirosyan’s recipe

Lentils – 300 gr.

Chickpeas – 300 gr.

Peas – 300 gr.

Beans – 300 gr.

Bulgur - 300 gr.

Tomato paste - 200 gr.

Bell pepper paste - 100 gr.

Red onions – 2 kg.

Fresh herbs - to taste

Dried regan and dried citron (savory) - to taste

Salt, red and black pepper - to taste

Vegetable oil

Slated pickled cabbage - whole leaves.

Cook the legumes in advance and keep them until needed. Cook the onions in vegetable oil, stir in tomato and paper pastes and cook a little longer until onions are softened. In a large bowl combine all ingredients: legumes, bulgur, onions, herbs, salt and peppers.  Place the filling on a cabbage leaf (remove any rough veins, if any), make rolls and arrange the dolmas into a cooking pan in dense layers. Add enough water to cover and cook over medium heat until the cabbage is ready - about an hour.

Transfer the dolmas to a serving platter and drizzle (in moderation) with two types of sauces: the first one - a mix of strained yogurt with some tahini to your liking, and the second one – a mix of apple cider vinegar, dill and garlic. For the topping - decorate with dried cherries and barberries.

So, which recipe of pasuts-dolma should I offer to my foreign friend? Maybe few for her to choose? Whatever it would be, one is certain – I will start with the essentials - the history and the meaning of this dish. Just like Ruzanna Tsaturyan started our conversation earlier: “Pasuts dolma ” - she said, - “is the only dish in Armenian cuisine, that managed to keep its religious naming even during the Soviet times. We were making pasuts-dolma (“lean” dolma) from a very early on and cooking it during the Christmas fasting, which in our traditions started in the end of December and lasted till the 5th of January, when we celebrated The Nativity of the Christ. Thus, the New Year celebration fell on that period, and pasuts-dolma eventually became our traditional New Year dinner’s dish”…

No matter which variety of pasuts-dolma we cook, the main thing to remember is that it symbolizes fertility and hopes for prosperity of the next year, and that what I sincerely wish to everyone. Happy New Year!

Nata Brettell

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