Dolmadakia - Stuffed Grape leaves with Rice
Learn how to make stuffed grape leaves, AKA dolmas, a classic Mediterranean appetizer or snack; stuffed with lemon dill rice, these vegetarian grape leaves are tantalizingly delicious.
Yield
75 servingsPrep
20 minCook
20 minReady
40 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | ounces |
grape leaves
|
* |
| ¾ | cup |
olive oil, extra-virgin
|
|
| 3 | medium |
onions
shredded on a box grater |
|
| 1 | medium |
lemon
juiced, or more to taste |
*
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
dill weed, fresh
more or less as desired |
|
| 1 ¾ | cup |
water
hot |
|
| ¾ | teaspoon |
salt
|
|
| ¼ | teaspoon |
black pepper
|
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 |
grape leaves
|
* | |
| 0.8 |
olive oil, extra-virgin
|
|
|
| 3 |
onions
shredded on a box grater |
|
|
| 1 |
lemon
juiced, or more to taste |
*
|
|
| 2 |
dill weed, fresh
more or less as desired |
|
|
| 1.8 |
water
hot |
|
|
| 0.8 |
salt
|
|
|
| 0.3 |
black pepper
|
|
Directions
Sauté the onion with half the oil. Add the rice and let cook for a few minutes.
Add the dill weed, hot water, salt, and black pepper and bring to the boil for about 5 minutes. Let it cool.
Steam the grape leaves and rinse with plenty of water in a colander.
Wrap the rice mixture with the grape leaves. This is the most complex and time-consuming part of making the stuffed grape leave. However, after you have wrapped the rice with the grape leaves a few times, you begin to enjoy the process. It is better if two people work on it simultaneously, talking, joking, teasing, etc. You want to make them relatively small in size (about 1 to 2 inches - 2 1/2 to 5cm or so).
Do not hesitate to cut big leaves in half. Discard the central stem of these leaves, and if you can reduce (with a sharp knife) any other tough stems, it would be good. You want to wrap the rice very tightly.
Place the rice in one end, fold from the short end and the two sides, and then roll while pushing the rice downwards to pack it really tight. You have to do it a couple of times to understand. If they are not tightly packed, they will unroll later. Also, be careful to wrap totally, do not leave any holes.
You arrange the dolmadakia in a casserole tightly in as many layers as needed.
Add the lemon juice, the rest of the olive oil, and 1½ cups of hot water. Cover them with a plate or something to keep them in place. Let them simmer for 35 minutes.
Serve this stuffed grape leaves recipe cold, with strained yogurt or taramosalata. Enjoy.
