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greek dolmas recipe

Greek Dolmas Recipe

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 jar (16 oz) grape leaves rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup  short-grain rice
  • 1/3 cup  pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup  olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 1 small  onion finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp  fresh dill chopped
  • 3 tbsp  fresh mint chopped
  • 1/4  cup fresh parsley chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon plus 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • 1 tsp  ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp  allspice
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups  vegetable broth or water

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts and toast for a minute or two. Add the rice, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper, then pour in 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  2. Once the rice has cooled slightly, stir in the dill, mint, parsley, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
  3. Lay the grape leaves flat on a work surface, shiny side down. Trim tough stems near the base. Keep a damp towel over the leaves you’re not using yet.
  4. Place about a tablespoon of filling near the stem end of each leaf. Fold the sides in, then roll tightly from the bottom like a small burrito.
  5. Line the bottom of a wide pot with a few spare or torn grape leaves. Arrange the rolled dolmas seam-side down in tight rows.
  6. Pour the vegetable broth over the dolmas until mostly covered. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and set a small heatproof plate directly on the dolmas to weigh them down. Cover and simmer for 45–50 minutes.
  7. Let the dolmas rest in the pot for about 15 minutes before removing the plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Notes

A few small changes can shift the flavor without much extra work. Swap in golden raisins along with the pine nuts for a sweeter bite. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the filling if you want some heat. A spoon of tomato paste mixed into the broth gives the dolmas a deeper color and taste. For a creamier side, serve them with a garlic yogurt sauce instead of plain lemon wedges.