A Silken Affair: Dances & Dolmas

A few years ago, I enrolled in a dance class on kathak, an art form originating in North India. Mekhalaji, my instructor, pointed out the aesthetics which inform kathak - aesthetics which are also present in kathak's kindred spirit, flamenco. Despite flamenco's documented origins in southern Spain, it shares many similarities to kathak: the dancer's body is held in an upright position, rhythmic footwork provides a percussive beat, and rapid circular movements are present (sometimes called "whirling dervishes").

As a student of dance and appreciator of integrated history, I digged a little deeper into what unites kathak with flamenco outside physical movement. In Mathura, I listened to a kathak performer describe how gypsies emigrated from present-day India in the 1000s to Spain. On their way, they passed through Persia and northern Africa, picking up artistic subtleties informing the practice of flamenco. In certain types of flamenco, chanting is integral; these chants are thought to have originated from Iraqi Christians, or present-day Chaldeans, who have now mostly left the country.

Fast forward a few centuries, and a reverse migration occurred. Mughals moved from the Middle East to India, changing the way kathak is practiced by bringing in movements from Arabic dance, like hip circles and detailed hand gestures. Despite these art forms evolving on separate continents at different periods of history, their aesthetics are still remarkably similar. Check it out:

So what does this have to do with food?

The passage by which kathak and flamenco shared aesthetics is also a geography that transferred other aspects of culture from Europe and the Middle East to South and East Asia. The Silk Routes - or Silk Road - were a early system of trade routes that transferred languages, aspects of religion, spices, textiles, and a host of other cultural influences across nearly 4,000 miles. Perhaps this is why certain culinary delights - like dolmas - that pop up in Greece can also be seen in Armenia and Bangladesh.

Dolmas are simply vegetables stuffed with grains, lentils, meats, spices, onions, garlic, and herbs. Variations of the dolma are found across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In Greece, dolmas are made from grape leaf wraps and rice fillings. My Persian classmate prepared savory eggplant dolmas stuffed with split peas and beef. In West Bengal and Bangladesh, gourds are stuffed with fish, shrimp, and other seafood to form another type of dolma.

The dolmas I made are quite simple with a minimum of seasonings. They are vegetarian, as my pantry is overflowing with lentils and grains. Rather than opting for rice, barley, or quinoa, I chose to use wild rice for its nutty flavor and chew texture. I know that red lentils cook very quickly and can become a mash if they are boiled for too long, so I selected yellow split peas for the dolmas. To finish, the sweet, woodsy scent of rosemary complemented the fiery touch of cayenne pepper in the dolmas.

Dolmas

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized bell peppers
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
3/4 cup yellow split peas
1.5 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, more if you like fire!

Directions:
1. In a rice cooker, cook wild rice and lentils together according to directions on the wild rice packet. If you have a steamer basket to attach to the rice cooker, steam bell peppers until tender. Let bell peppers cool.
2. While the rice and lentils are cooking, saute onion and garlic with oil, rosemary, and cayenne pepper until onion is translucent.
3. When rice and lentils are finished cooking, fold in onion mixture and let the entire dish cool.
4. Carefully cut out the stem of the bell pepper. I find it's easier to do this to make a square shape. Wash out the seeds from the peppers and remove any white parts that you can cut out with a paring knife. Be careful not to poke holes elsewhere in the peppers
5. Stuff rice and lentil mixture into each pepper and close up with the stem.
6. Serve with your beverage of choice ☺