Start by finely dicing the onions and red peppers and mincing the garlic

Wash the rice well until the water runs clear and drain 

Mix together the all the ingredients for the stuffing: meat, rice, vegetables, garlic, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, oil, salt and pepper. Use your hands and mix until very well combined. Set aide.

For the eggplant: cut the eggplant into 2 pieces similar in size to the photos. Then using a sharp pairing knife (which is a knife with a short blade), place the eggplant on a cutting board sideways with your hand on top. Using your dominant hand, start coring around the inside of the eggplant, going around and around and slowly inserting the knife in deeper as you go around. Do this until you reach the other side or until you can use your fingers to scoop out the flesh. If you don't get it all out, keep using your knife to cut away the flesh. You can also insert your knife from the other side to help loosen the flesh further. Refer to recipe video for detailed method.

For the zucchini: start by scraping away the skin using a sharp knife, then trim the ends. Cut the zucchini into 3 pieces then core using the same method as the eggplant

For the pepper: carefully cut around the stem and remove it, then using your fingers, remove the inner seeds and any white parts. You can use a small knife to get in there and loosen them

For the onion: first peel the onion, then dig around the end where the root was and carve it out slightly (this helps separate the layers). Make a long cut lengthwise all the way to the centre - do not cut past the centre. Then microwave the onions for 1 minute to soften the layers slightly (you can also boil for a minute). Wait for it to cool, then use your fingers to carefully dislodge the layers and pop them out

For the swiss chard: before stuffing, wash the leaves well and then submerge in a bowl of boiling water for 3 seconds. Remove them and place them on a tray. This helps wilt the leaves and makes them more pliable for stuffing. Then, cut the thick stems off the leaves, and cut the leaf into 2 or 3 pieces, depending on the size.

For the grape leaves: grape leaves come in jars submerged in water (I don't recommend using the frozen ones). Generally the leaves are salted, so before using them, soak them in water for at least an hour to get rid of excess salt, then wash them a few times and drain. You can squeeze them carefully to get rid of excess water. 

Start by adding 1/4 olive oil to the bottom of the pot, then line the bottom with the flesh of the eggplant and zucchini that you carved out

Then stuff the "rigid" vegetables first: eggplant, zucchini and pepper. Fill them 3/4 of the way because the rice will expand during cooking. Stack the eggplant and zucchini together so they remain in place

Then stuff the onions and squeeze them into all the empty spots

Finally stuff the swiss chard and grape leaves and use them to fill in all the cervices and tightly pack everything in.

To roll the leaves, place a small amount in the middle of the leaf. Fold the sides over, then roll the leaf keeping a tight grip. Place in the pot seam side down 

Prepare the cooking liquid by mixing all the ingredients together well until the tomato paste has dissolved (you can use hot water to help this)

Pour the liquid into the pot ensuring it goes all the way up to half way through the top layer. Don't completely submerge the top layer.

Place a flat plate on top of the pot to keep everything in place

Cover the pot and bring to a boil on high heat for 15 minutes. Then, taste and adjust the seasoning of the liquid (add more salt or acid if you need to).

After 15 minutes, remove the plate and give the pot a jiggle to help the water travel downwards. Decrease the heat to medium and allow it to cook for another 15 minutes

Finally, decrease the heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Taste it after the hour and make sure all the vegetables are really soft

Allow the dolma to stand for 10-15 minutes, then flip it into a round metal tray with raised sides. If you don't have a round platter or tray, you can use a spoon to spoon the dolma into a platter.

To flip the dolma, place the tray on top of the pot, then grab each handle and flip in a swift motion. Make sure there is someone beside you to grab the tray as soon as you flip it and ease the weight off your arms.

Dig in and enjoy!