An easy recipe for dolma or stuffed grape leaves that’s healthy and hearty. Check out our video and step-by-step tutorial to see how simple it is to make this recipe.
Ingredients:
▢1 jar grape leaves
▢2 tbsp olive oil
▢2 onions, finely chopped
▢1 cup short grain rice
▢1 tsp tomato paste
▢1/2 tsp cinnamon
▢1 tsp dried mint
▢1 tsp sugar
▢2 tbsp pine nuts
▢1/2 tsp salt
▢1/3 cup parsley, chopped
▢1/2 cup vegetable oil , or olive oil
▢Boiling water
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a pan and saute onion until translucent. Add in the rice and cook for just a few minutes.
Then add the tomato paste, cinnamon, dried mint, sugar, pine nuts, parsley and salt. Add in 1/2 cup boiling water. Stir well and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off.
Reserve 5 or 6 grape leaves to cover the bottom of the pot. Lay flat a grape leaf on a clean surface. Place about 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture on the leaf and then start rolling. To roll, fold in left and right side, then the bottom and then roll tightly into a cigar. Please watch the video for the complete tutorial.
Cover the bottom of a large pot with reserved grape leaves from the jar and place stuffed grape leaves in the pot to cover the bottom.
Layer the dolmas on top of each other and nestle them tightly next to each other to make sure they won’t open up when cooking. When all the dolmas are in the pot, pour 1/2 cup vegetable oil over the dolmas. Shake the pot a bit to make sure the oil goes all the way to the bottom of the pot. Gently pour boiling water over the dolmas until it barely covers them.
Place a plate upside down on the stuffed grape leaves and cover with a lid. Place the pot over medium high heat until the water starts simmering. Turn the heat on low and cook covered for about 45 minutes.
To see if the dolmas are cooked, take one out of the pot and let it cool for a minute. Bite it and if the rice is cooked and soft, the dolmas are ready.
Serve cold with some yogurt and lemon.
These stuffed grape leaves are known by so many names around the Middle East and the Mediterranean, including Sarma, Dolma, and Dolmades. And the feeling is different depending on the country. Some make it vegetarian and some make it with ground lamb or beef. However you make it, these are going to be delicious. Here is a vegetarian version for today, which has onions, rice, tomato paste, spices including cinnamon and dried mint, a little bit of water, so the rice cooks just a little bit. You’ve got pine nuts and parsley. As for the grape leaves, I usually go for the jarred ones because they are available where I live. You want to make sure that the shiny side is down and you’re facing the rough side. And to roll it, make sure that you’re rolling them as tight as possible so they don’t explode when they’re cooking, which wouldn’t happen if you arrange them properly in the pot. As you can see, I have put some grape leaves at the bottom. This is just what I do when I have extra leaves. And then you arrange the stuffed grape leaves or dolas as tightly as possible. This is the way I like to arrange them. Some arrange them in round shapes. However you arrange them, just make sure that they are very packed and tight. Once you’re done arranging the dolmas, drizzle about half a cup of vegetable oil or olive oil over the dolas and just tilt the pot to make sure the oil goes everywhere. Fill the pot with hot water and then place a plate on top. This is to make sure that the leaves don’t fall apart. And then cook it for about an hour until the leaves are tender and the rice is cooked.
1 Comment
Nice recepie. I'll make it.