Greek Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

Dolmades are a traditional Greek dish made with vine leaves stuffed with rice, herbs and sometimes ground meat. They can be served as a starter or main course, hot or cold. This recipe is for the vegetarian version of dolmades.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup dill, chopped
• 1/4 cup mint, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 (14-ounce) can grape leaves, rinsed and drained

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the rice, onion, parsley, dill, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the rice mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender and the vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool.
4. To assemble the dolmades, place a grape leaf, vein side up, on a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture onto the leaf. Fold the bottom part of the leaf up over the filling, then fold in the sides. Roll up the leaf, enclosing the filling completely. Repeat with the remaining grape leaves and filling.
5. Place the dolmades in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and let cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Potential changes & improvements

You could try adding some chopped tomatoes, feta cheese or pine nuts to the rice mixture. For a non-vegetarian version, you could add ground lamb or beef.

What other food it works well with

Dolmades goes well with a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Common Mistakes

One common mistake is to overcook the rice, which will make the dolmades dry and difficult to roll. Another mistake is to use too much filling, which will make the dolmades difficult to roll and may cause them to fall apart.

Nutritional Information

Dolmades are a good source of vitamins A and C, and a good source of fiber. One dolma has about 80 calories.

Allergens

Dolmades contains gluten (from the rice) and tree nuts (from the lemon juice).