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Dolmas: Balkan Stuffed Vegetables (Šarena Dolma, Sarajevski Sahan)

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Dolmas or Balkan stuffed vegetables (known as šarena dolma, or sarajevski sahan), are a blend of veggies filled with a delicious mixture of ground beef, rice, and flavorful herbs, baked in a luscious tomato-based sauce. Shall we?

Metal dish with a lid on gray background filled with filled veggies, red kitchen underneath, and a pan and spoon.
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Background

Dolmas (sing. dolma, "to stuff") came to the Balkans via the Ottomans. Like a lot of Mediterranean dishes, it's hard to pinpoint their exact origin. We can only confirm that they're loved everywhere.

This delightful medley of stuffed zucchini, onions, tomatoes, peppers, Swiss chard (and more), baked to perfection in a savory tomato sauce is out of this world.

While in most regions dolmas (dolmades) are served as appetizers, in the Balkans they're almost always a full meal. This probably has to do with the filling, which is typically meat-based.

The combo we're making today is sometimes called šarena dolma or colorful dolmas, due to the variety of vegetables used for the dish.

Some of the popular dolmas in the Balkans are:

  • Japrak - a grape leaf, Swiss chard, or collard greens with a stuffing. Also known as japrak sarma or japrak dolma, is also what is usually defined as dolma in the English speaking regions. The most famous one is hercegovački japrak (japrak from Herzegovina).
  • Sogan Dolma - stuffed onions.
  • Sarma - stuffed (sour) cabbage.
  • Arambašići - a type of Dalmatian (Croatia) small stuffed cabbage.

Today's colorful dolmas (šarena dolma) also goes by Sarajevski sahan (Sarajevo sahan), where the dish is served in a sahan, a traditional deep metal plate with a lid that keeps the dish warm.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan). (Note: butter and flour were not pictured.)

Ingredients (zucchini, seasonings, herbs, milk, rice, tomatoes, peppers, ground beef, onions, garlic and collard greens) on a light gray background.

Vegetables

Best dolmas are made from smaller vegetables. While it takes longer to core, deseed, and stuff them, the flavor is incredible.

  • Tomatoes: smaller tomatoes like Romas, or tomatoes on the vine are best. If using cherry tomatoes, find bigger ones. Avoid heirloom or large tomatoes.
  • Zucchini: medium, and all should be similar in size; this way when you cut them, the cups should be about the same size.
  • Peppers: bell peppers work well, but find smaller ones. (Regionally, peppers called "babura" are used, as well as the Italian sweet peppers.) Avoid big, thick peppers.
  • Onions: small yellow or white onions. Avoid red onions.
  • Plant Leaves: Swiss Chard, collard greens, or grape leaves.
  • (Optional) sour or regular cabbage, eggplant, etc.

Filling

  • Ground (Minced) Meat: While beef is the most popular, veal, lamb, and pork (or a combination) also work. (Some people dice in a little bit of smoked beef or bacon.) Avoid turkey or chicken (too dry!).
  • Onion: yellow or white onion.
  • Garlic: regular or powder.
  • Rice: small, round-grain rice is best. Avoid long-grained or brown rice.
  • Herbs and Seasonings: salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, stock powder, bouillon, or Vegeta.
  • Milk: regular or soy are fine.
  • (Optional) The insides of whatever veggies you're using, such as zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, etc.

Tomato Sauce

  • Seasonings: paprika, salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley.
  • Tomato sauce: basic, without additional flavors.
  • Butter.

(Optional) Foux-Roux

  • White Flour.

Instructions

Here are the instructions to make Balkan dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Four photographs (two by two) of a zucchini being cut (photograph one) and cored (photographs two and three) to make zucchini cups (photograph four) in a gray background.

Preparing zucchini for stuffing for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Four photographs (two by two) of peppers. First photo is of four peppers, second is of a hand pushing the stem in on one pepper, the third photographs shows a pepper without a stem, and number four photograph shows all of them cored and emptied.

Preparing peppers for stuffing for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Four photographs (two by two) of tomatoes. First photo shows three tomatoes, second a hand holding a tomato, the third shows coring tomato with the knife, and fourth photographs is of hand holding cored tomato.

Preparing tomatoes for stuffing for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Four photographs, two by two. First photograph has collard greens on a table; second photograph shows collard greens in a bowl; third photograph shows collard greens in a bowl covered with hot water; fourth photo shows collard greens in a bowl after the water is strained.

Preparing collard greens (grape leaves or Swiss chard) for stuffing for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Six photographs of onions: first photograph is of five onions on gray background; second photo is of those onions peeled; third photo is of them dipped in boiling water; fourth is in cold water; fifth is of the onion in a hand; sixth is of the onion without the insides.

Preparing onions for stuffing for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Step 1 - Preparing the Vegetables for Dolmas (Šarena Dolma, Sarajevski Sahan). Wash and deseed vegetables. Make small cups out of zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers. Soak grape leaves (or collard greens) in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, then strain. Peel and cook onions for 5 minutes in boiling water. Transfer to cold water. Slowly push the insides out, leaving the outer layers to stuff.

Two photographs, side by side, with a bowl and ingredients (rice, milk, seasonings, meat), left with ingredients separate, right with ingredients mixed.

Step 2 - Preparing the Filling for Dolmas (Šarena Dolma, Sarajevski Sahan). In a larger bowl, combine all filling ingredients, and mix well until integrated.

Four photographs of a hand stuffing different vegetables: zucchini, tomatoes, onions and peppers above a tray full of cored vegetables.

Stuffing zucchini, tomato, peppers and onions for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Six photographs, two by three, of collard green leaf being stuffed, first photo is with meat, second is with left side lifted over the meat, third photo is of it being rolled, fourth photograph is of it being closed on one side, on fifth photograph a hand is holding it in air, and sixth photograph shows all vegetables, stuffed, on a big oval tray on a gray background.

Stuffing collard greens (or grape leaves, or Swiss chard) for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Two photographs, side by side, of an oval baking pan, left is with oil, right is with vegetables inside.

Oiling the pan and placing vegetables inside for dolmas (šareni burek, sarajevski sahan).

Step 3 - Stuffing the Vegetables (Šarena Dolma, Sarajevski Sahan). Using a small spoon or your hand, stuff zucchini, onions, tomatoes, and peppers. Do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands when it bakes. Stuff leaves by putting one tablespoon of the filling in the middle on the bottom of the leaf. Fold one side of the leaf, and roll everything up. Tuck the other side in until you have a little "burrito." Place in an oiled deep baking pan with a lid. Heat oven.

Six photographs, two by two, one is with red sauce in a pitcher with seasonings, second red sauce is being poured over stuffed vegetables, third photograph is of another red sauce mixed with a spoon, fourth photographs is that second sauce poured over the stuffed veggies, fifth photograph is of stuffed veggies in a pan with sauces, sixth photograph is of everything baked.

Step 4 - Preparing the Sauce and Roux for Dolmas (Šarena Dolma, Sarajevski Sahan). Combine tomato sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside a cup of it. Pour the rest of the sauce over the vegetables in the pan. Mix the remaining cup with 2-3 tablespoons of flour, until it's crumb-free, making the "foux" roux. Pour this sauce over the vegetables in the pan also, and add butter (not photographed). Cover the pan with the lid and put it in the oven.

(Not pictured) Step 5 - Baking Dolmas (Šarena Dolma, Sarajevski Sahan). Bake for 75 minutes. Take the lid off and bake another 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary.

Handling

  • Serving: Serve a piece of each vegetable together in a serving bowl (preferably a sahan, if you have it), and pour a ladle or two of the sauce over them.

    For an even heartier meal, serve dolmas over polenta or mashed potatoes. Some people like to lighten the taste with a dollop of sour cream on top.
  • Assembly: You can assemble dolmas the night before you plan to cook/ bake them. Keep assembled veggies in the fridge.
  • Storing: Store dolmas (šarena dolma, sarajevski sahan) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
  • Reheating: Reheat dolmas based on your preference. However, for the most control over the dish, reheat it on the stovetop for at least 15 minutes on low. (Or until veggies, the filling inside, and the sauce are hot.) Add a little bit of water to the stew if it's too thick, or running low. Important: only reheat as many dolmas as you plan on eating. Dolmas should not be reheated twice.
  • Freezing: As it involves a lot of fresh veggies, we're not fans of freezing dolmas. If you do, once you're ready to eat it, thaw it completely before heating it. We don't guarantee the taste.

Recipe FAQs

Why isn't meat browned before stuffing the veggies with it?

The veggies bake in the sauce for longer than an hour. This is plenty of time for the meat to be thoroughly done. Browning the meat beforehand makes it overly done and dry.

Are dolmas Greek, Turkish, Iraqi, Balkan, or Kurdish?

As is true with many international dishes, it's hard to pinpoint the dolmas origin.

Dolmas are consumed all over North Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia, the Balkans, and wider. And each one of these places considers it to be their creation.

Are grape leaves ok to be eaten raw?

Yes.

However, when you eat Balkan dolmas, you're not eating grape leaves raw, but cooking them. (If you dislike grape leaves, you can stuff Swiss chard or collard greens.)

Desserts for Later

Even after a hearty meal like dolmas, there is still a little more space for the dessert.

Thoughts?

If you make today's Balkan dolmas or stuffed vegetables (šarena dolma, sarajevski sahan) and like it, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This will help others find the recipe more easily!

You can also leave a comment, I read EVERY one! Finally, if IG is more your thing, consider tagging us @balkanlunchbox.

Prijatno, Dobar Tek, and Bon Appetit!

Metal dish with a lid full of stuffed veggies and a spoon ladle.

Dolmas: Balkan Stuffed Veggies (Sarajevski Sahan)

Aida
Balkan dolmas or stuffed veggies also known as šarena dolma or sarajevski sahan. Ground beef, rice, and herbs stuffed in vegetables, baked in tomato sauce. Delish!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Bosnian
Servings 6

Ingredients
 
 

Vegetables

  • 3-4 tomatoes smaller
  • 2 zucchini medium, equally sized
  • 3-4 bell peppers smaller
  • 4 yellow onions small
  • 7-8 Swiss chard leaves or grape leaves, or collard greens

Filling

  • 15 ounces ground beef pork or lamb work also, avoid chicken or turkey
  • 1 yellow onion minced
  • 1-2 garlic cloves minced
  • 3.5 ounces rice round grain
  • 1.7-2 ounces milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon Vegeta, or 1 tablespoon stock powder
  • (Optional) 1-2 ounces bacon or smoked beef minced
  • (Optional) 1 small tomato peeled and minced, or insides from the tomatoes for stuffing

Tomato Sauce

  • 28 ounces water
  • 7 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1.5-2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1-2 tablespoons parsley fresh, or ½ tablespoon minced
  • salt to taste
  • (Optional) 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3.5 ounces butter

(Faux) Roux

  • 2-3 tablespoons white flour
  • 2-3 ounces tomato sauce (from above)

Instructions
 

Preparing the Vegetables

  • Wash all vegetables. Clean and core zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes using a preferred method, or read below.
  • Zucchini: Cut off the stems, and then quarter each zucchini so the pieces are about the same size. Using a small spoon (or the end of it), core out the insides leaving a "cup" shape behind. Try not to poke through to the other side. If you do, patch it up the best you can. Set the cups aside. You can keep the insides for the stuffing or discard them. (We discard them.)
  • Tomatoes: Using a small knife, cut the stem out. Continue coring the tomato underneath where the stem was. Take the insides out, shaping the tomato into an empty ball. (It's up to you how much of the tomato insides you want to take out. We prefer to take out a little leaving most of the tomato meat intact.) Set it aside. You can keep the tomato insides for the stuffing or discard them. (We discard them.) Repeat for each tomato.
  • Peppers: Using your thumb, push the pepper stems inside, and then slowly pull them out. Wash the seeds out. (Or use a preferred method to core the peppers and clean out the seeds.) Discard the seeds and stems. Set peppers aside.
  • Collard greens (or other leaves): In a deep bowl, place leaves and cover with boiling water. Soak them for 3-5 minutes, until they soften a little bit. Strain and set aside.
  • Onions: Peel the onions. Cut the stem off, together with a little bit off the top of the onion, so that the outermost layers are exposed on top. Bring water to boil in a small pot and add the onions. Boil for 5 minutes and transfer to a bowl filled with cold water.
    After a few minutes, press the inside layers of each onion lightly from the bottom of each onion toward the top, where the stem was. Push until these middle layers fall out, leaving the outer few layers. Discard the middle layers, leaving the outer layers for stuffing.
    If adventurous, you can push the middle from the middle layers, making even smaller onion layers for stuffing. However, this isn't necessary.

Preparing the Filling (Stuffing)

  • In a larger bowl, combine all filling ingredients, and mix with your hands until incorporated. Heat oven to 395°F (200°C).

Stuffing the Vegetables

  • Zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and onions: Using a small spoon, or your hands, stuff all vegetables with the filling. Put just enough filling so that it sits comfortably inside. (It will expand as the vegetables bake, so overstuffing vegetables will prevent them from cooking properly, or make it tough.)
  • Collard greens (or leaves): Take one leaf and spread it. Place a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of the stuffing in the middle toward the bottom. Fold the left side of the leaf over and roll the meat in. Using a finger, push the other side of the leaf inside (as if making a small burrito). (Please look at photos in the article for help.)
  • Oil a deep pan and place the vegetables inside it. If there is more stuffing left, pour it around the vegetables in the pan.

Preparing the Tomato Sauce and (Faux) Roux

  • In a large pot, place all tomato sauce ingredients, except butter. Mix well. Pour over the vegetables in the pan.
  • In a cup, mix the ingredients for the roux well, ensuring there are no crumbs. Pour over the vegetables in the pan.
  • Add butter to the pan, cover it, and place in the oven.

Baking

  • Bake dolmas with the lid on for 60-75 minutes. Take the lid off, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Handling

  • Serve a piece of each vegetable together in a serving bowl (preferably a sahan, if you have it), and pour a ladle or two of the sauce over them. For a heartier meal, serve over mashed potatoes, or polenta. A dollop of sour cream is optional.
    Store dolmas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
    For the most control over the dish, reheat it on the stovetop for at least 15 minutes on low. (Or until veggies, the filling inside, and the sauce are hot.) Add a little bit of water to the stew if it's too thick, or running low. Important: only reheat as much as you plan on eating.
    Freezing: As it involves a lot of fresh veggies, we're not fans of freezing this dish. If you do, once you're ready to eat it, thaw it completely before heating it. We don't guarantee the taste.

Notes

Please note: we did not include the nutrition info isn't included as the serving size varies greatly between people. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marwah says

    Dolmas!!! I'm making this tomorrow!!! Stay tuned!!!

    Reply

    • Aida says

      Ooooh, Marwah's back! Yes! 🙂

      Reply

  2. Marwah says

    Oh yes, I'm here 🙂 I made this last night and it was so delicious! And much easier than I expected it to be. I am always reluctant to make stuffed anything because it seems like it takes so long to carve and stuff and roll everything. But once it's made, it's a one-pot meal. You don't need any sides, just some fresh bread and that's it. And you can make it early in the day, run out and do what you need to do, and come back and reheat it a few minutes before eating - a necessity in my life right now. I love that you don't have to pre-cook the filling before stuffing the vegetables in this recipe. That's a huge time saver right there. I halved the recipe and followed it exactly, minus the swiss chard because I didn't have any. I used the dark green (American) zucchini, mini peppers, onions, and plum tomatoes. When I was making the sauce, I was worried that it was a bit watery but once it cooked with the vegetables it turned out to be the perfect consistency. I baked mine covered at 375F (because my oven always seems to run hot) for 50 minutes, then uncovered for the last 10 minutes like you said and in the end I had a delicious meal and a very happy husband 🙂 Thanks again Aida for a wonderful recipe!

    I just watched a bunch of your Facebook videos! They are fantastic!!! I followed your group. If I could make a request for one, it would be for the hash brown potato pie recipe. I've made it several times but I'm having a hard time trying to understand how thick or thin the mixture of grated potatoes, onions, water, and flour should be, both in consistency and when placed in the pan. The photographs are wonderful, but the video can actually show how thick or thin a mixture should be, which I think will be so helpful!

    Reply

    • Aida says

      I'm so glad you liked it! I agree regarding the sauce, it does look watery, but it turns out just right. What you might want to do when you take it out of the oven also is to pour the sauce over dolmas (and before reheating) to soften the top part which can dry out from baking. Thanks about the videos!

      Reply

  3. Marwah says

    Hi Aida,

    I know I've commented about the fabulousness of this dish already but I wanted to share that this past weekend I hosted a potluck for about 50 Bosnians and made a triple recipe of these dolmas, a quadruple recipe of your Bey soup recipe, and three of your cheese pies. Almost nothing of my dishes was left, and people were so surprised that a non-Bosnian made some authentic Bosnian cuisine 🙂 So I wanted to thank you again for creating this blog and making Bosnian food more familiar to the rest of the world!

    Reply

    • Aida says

      Marwah,
      Fantastic! You are of course "to blame" for all the success of the potluck. Thanks for letting me know, comments like this always make my day.

      Reply

  4. Pedro Henrique Cunha says

    Thank you for that!
    I'm a brazilian guy. My wife and I visited Bosnia 1 year ago and there we had the best stuffed vegetables ever! (actually, was our first time trying that).
    We always said that we have to try to prepare Dolma and we've choose your recipe!
    I just want to thank you to bring again all good memories about one of my favorite dishes in the world!

    Reply

    • Aida says

      Pedro,
      So glad to hear your wife and you enjoyed Sarajevo, and that you have some nice memories from here. I look forward to visiting Brazil one day as I hear you have AMAZING food.
      Best of luck making dolmas, hope you like them as much as you did when you visited.

      Reply

  5. Peter says

    Večeras treći put pripremim ovaj recept, i jako mi se sviđa. Putujem često u Hrvatsku i ponekad u Bosnu. Već godinama tražim dobar recept, jer moji prijatelji u HRu i BiHu samo kažu "stavi malo ovoga, malo ovoga, šaku riža.....znaš". Prema tom savjetu nikad nije dobro ispalo. Sad sam jako zadovoljan, bez obzira na to što moram malo zamijeniti, jer povrće ovdje nisu baš iste, pogotovo paprike. Hvala lijepa na savjetu. Pozdrav iz Irske. Peter

    Reply

    • Aida says

      Pozdrav Peter!

      Drago nam je da je jedan od naših recepata pronašao put u Vašu kuhinju. Znamo mnogo o "stavi malo ovoga, malo onoga," to je bio i jedan od glavnih razloga za kreiranje bloga. 🙂
      Zamjene su uvijek dobrodošle - možda čak i otkrijete neku novu kombinaciju.
      Happy cooking and a big wave to Ireland!

      Reply
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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