Introduction
Sami Tamimi’s aubergine dolma bake recreates the comforting flavours of traditional Iraqi dolma—vine leaves stuffed with fragrant rice and sometimes meat—but without the hours of coring, stuffing, and rolling. Instead, layers of roasted aubergine, herbed rice, and vine leaves are baked together until tender, then inverted onto a platter. The dish is served with a bright, lemony spinach salad that adds freshness and contrast. The recipe yields six servings and requires about 2 hours 15 minutes of cooking time, plus 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of resting.
Aubergine Dolma Bake
To make the bake, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F/gas 7 and line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper. Slice 2 large aubergines (900g) lengthways into ½cm-thick slices. Lay the slices on the trays, brush generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt on both sides. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan)/390°F/gas 6. Line a high-sided oven dish (roughly 22cm x 35cm) with baking paper.
For the filling, combine 10-12 vine leaves in brine (40g), rinsed, dried, and roughly chopped, with 1 finely chopped red onion (150g), 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tsp baharat, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ⅓ tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 350g Egyptian rice (or pudding/risotto rice), 30g finely shredded mint leaves, 50g finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (plus extra for garnish), 10g finely chopped coriander, and 1 tsp freshly ground coffee. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and 1½ tsp salt, and mix well.
Line the base of the dish with just under half the roasted aubergine slices, laying them at a slight angle, slightly overlapping, to completely cover the base. Spoon the filling over and spread evenly. Top with the remaining aubergine slices, again overlapping slightly. Whisk the sauce ingredients—900ml boiling water, 80ml lemon juice, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1½ tsp salt, and black pepper—then slowly pour over the bake. Seal tightly with tin foil, place on an oven tray (to catch leaks), and bake for 90 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes without lifting the foil. Then remove the foil, carefully invert the pie onto a large platter, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley leaves, and serve warm or at room temperature with yoghurt if desired.
Spicy Herb and Spinach Salad
For the salad, toast the seeds: combine ½ tsp white sesame seeds, ½ tsp nigella seeds, 20g pumpkin seeds, 1½ tsp coriander seeds (crushed in a mortar), and ½ tsp Aleppo chilli flakes (or ¼ tsp regular chilli flakes) with ¼ tsp flaky sea salt. In a large bowl, prepare the lemon: trim both ends off 1 whole lemon, cut down along the curves to remove skin and pith, then release segments by slicing between membranes and roughly chop. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice (from another lemon), 20g flat-leaf parsley leaves, 10g tarragon leaves, 15g dill leaves, 15g mint leaves (roughly torn), 4 trimmed and thinly sliced spring onions (60g), 100g baby spinach, 1½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp flaky sea salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Add half the seed mixture and combine. Transfer to a platter or plates, top with remaining seeds, and serve immediately.
Notes
According to Sami Tamimi, this dish captures the familiar flavours of dolma while making the vine leaves silky and tender through layering. The salad provides a fresh, lemony contrast. The bake can be served warm or at room temperature, making it suitable for entertaining.
