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A tower of ten dolmas. Pink pickled turnips, feta cheese, and stuffed peppers can be seen in the background.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Dolmas

Dolmas, from the Turkish verb "to stuff", are a culinary legacy of the Ottoman Empire. You'll find a number of variations in the countries that were part of the Ottoman Empire, like my husband's native country of Albania. Dolmas can either be vegetarian or stuffed with meat, served hot or cold, and alongside a variety of sauces. 
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8
Course: Appetizers, Sides
Cuisine: Albanian, Greek, Mediterranean
Calories: 412
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz jar grape leaves see notes
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb ground lamb or beef
  • ½ cup white basmati rice uncooked
  • ¼ cup dried currants may sub raisins or dried apricots
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock or water

Equipment

  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 paring knife
  • measuring spoons ½ tsp, 1 tbsp
  • measuring cups ¼ cup, ½ cup
  • 1 large Dutch oven
  • 1 heavy plate to hold down the dolmas

Method
 

  1. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until onion is translucent. Add the uncooked rice and pine nuts, sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add ground meat, dried currants, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and boiling water; cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
  3. Remove from heat; stir in mint, parsley, and dill. Allow to cool for 1 hour, covered.
  4. Take a paring knife and cut off the stems of each grape leaf. Place a leaf right side up on a cutting board. Add 1 tbsp of filling in a horizontal line in the middle of the leaf. Fold in the ends of the leaf and roll upwards into tight little cigars. Repeat until you run out of the filling.
  5. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a Dutch oven. Line the bottom of the pot with extra grape leaves. Place the rolled dolmas close together in a layer on top of the grape leaves. Make another layer if necessary, depending on how big of a batch you're making.
  6. Pour the remaining ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil over the dolmas. This step will help them not stick together while cooking. Place a plate over-top of the dolmas to weigh them down and keep them in place. Cover, and cook on very low heat for 1 hour.
  7. Serve either hot or cold with lemon and a cool yogurt sauce or Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip (Tirokafteri).

Notes

Step for fresh grape leaves:
Sometimes you can find fresh grape leaves (stems already removed) at the Farmers Market. Just make sure they're young leaves, as older leaves are too tough.
If you can get your hands on fresh grape leaves, do the following step before anything else. In a large pot, add enough water to cover the grape leaves, and bring to a boil. Add grape leaves and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse well, pat to dry, and set aside.