Dimlama
A slow-steamed one-pot of meat and layered vegetables.
Dimlama is a generous one-pot stew where meat and a rainbow of vegetables are layered into a sealed kazan and left to steam in their own juices. Nothing is fried hard and little liquid is added: the cabbage, potato, carrot, and tomato release enough to braise everything into soft, savoury harmony.
What's in it
- Lamb or beef at the base, then layers of vegetables
- Potato, carrot, onion, tomato, peppers, and cabbage
- Sealed tight and steamed low and slow, barely stirred
- Garlic and herbs tucked between the layers
Good to know
How it’s served
Spooned out in layers onto a shared platter so everyone gets meat and vegetables together.
Best for
A hearty main to share, especially good in summer when the vegetables are at their peak.
Good to know
A whole leaf of cabbage often caps the pot, holding the steam in like a lid.
Everything in One Pot
Dimlama is the cook’s reward for patience and good layering. Once the kazan is packed and sealed, the work is done: the magic happens in the slow exchange of juices as each layer steams into the next. Lift the lid an hour later and a market’s worth of vegetables has become a single, comforting dish.
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