Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)
Prep time: About 1 hour
Cooking time: About 1 1/2 hour
Makes: 30 - 35 pieces
Ingredients
- 8 oz. jar of grape leaves in brine (40 - 50 leaves)
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint (or mixture with dill and parsley)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pine nuts
- 1/2 t. dried thyme
- 1 lemon (You will use the juice and the zest.)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Directions -
- Carefully remove the grape leaves from the jar. Soak them 30 minutes in warm water to remove the brine. I do it in a dish pan.
- Cook rice as per instructions ( simmer 15 minutes in 2 cups boiling water.)
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy skillet. Saute the onions for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the rice, lemon zest, mint / dill / parsley, and pine nuts. Stir well to coat rice with oil.
- Filling the Dolmas
- Spread out a grape leaf, vein size up, with the stem pointing toward you. Cut off the stem.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of stuffing on the vein, near the stem end.
- Fold the stem end up over the stuffing and then away from you.
- Fold the two sides of the leaf over the top and roll up tightly like a cigar (or burrito).
- As you roll the dolma, tuck in the edges of the leaf to make a neat package.
- Line the bottom of the heavy skillet with several remaining leaves. This keeps the dolmas from sticking to the skillet.
- Arrange the dolmas in the skillet, seam-side down, closely packed, in one layer if you can.
- Drizzle over the dolmas the lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.
- Cover with a few more unused grape leaves if there are any.
- Put a large oven-proof plate on top of the dolmas to help them keep their shape.
- Add 1/4 cup water. Cover the skillet and simmer 1 hour.
- Let dolmas cool in the liquid, drain, and serve with yogurt-garlic sauce.
This is a combination of a recipe obtained from the chef at the Korumar Hotel, KusadasI, Turkey (April 2006), and recipes from the Internet and also the "Joy of Cooking".
You can make a version with ground lamb or other meat. Eliminate the pine nuts, add 3/4 lb ground lamb or other meat.
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