Have you ever had a dolma? It's a Mediterranean food, a grape leaf stuffed with an herbed rice mixture, that is then folded and steamed. Dolmas are fancy enough to serve to company, but pretty easy to assemble. It's a one of the best autumn foods, since it is made with grape leaves! And yes, you can eat the whole thing, leaf and all!
This recipe is one of my continuing series of festive family favorite recipes that we love to make to celebrate the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot.
These stuffed grape leaves, known to us as dolmas, come from a recipe that my Armenian great-aunt shared with us. In her family, dolmas are always made vegetarian, which technically makes them Armenian Sarma. In many parts of the world they have a meat filling such as beef or lamb. Spread via the Ottoman Empire, some version of these grape leaves appear throughout much of the Mediterranean and Muslim world, with similar names, such as Greece (dolmades), Armenia (tolma), Iran (dolmeh), and Azerbaijan (dolmasi).
Dolmas are a party food- they are not hard to make, but time-consuming, and let me tell you, they are great appetizers, or tasty tidbits on a platter, since they have tiny servings and big flavor. Use cooked rice, if you want, to speed things up.
I love using all fresh herbs, but fresh mint is an absolute must in this recipe.
Of course pine nuts are the BEST! but other nuts, like these chopped walnuts and almonds are delicious and much easier on the pocketbook.
Recipe for Mediterranean Dolmas
Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped pine nuts, almonds or walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups soaked short-grain white rice
8 cups water
1/3 cup parsley
1/4 cup fresh mint, or spearmint
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh or bottled lemon juice
36 large, clean grape leaves, softened OR canned grape leaves
optional: dried cranberries, cooked lamb
Instructions
Step one - Prepare the grape leaves.
-If using canned grape leaves, this is what you do. Drain brine and carefully remove grape leaves from jar. Place in a large bowl and rinse with cold water a few times, gently swishing leaves to rinse off brine. Fill bowl with cold water to cover leaves; soak 15 minutes. Proceed with recipe.
-If using fresh grape leaves, choose fresh, green leaves with as few holes as possible, and snip the stems close to the leaf. Wash the leaves, and immerse them in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the softened grape leaves from the water and cool. Proceed with the recipe.
Step 2 - Meanwhile, mix the soaked rice, tomato paste, finely chopped nuts, and olive oil in a bowl.
Mince all the herbs very, very finely, and add it into the rice in the bowl.
Or, alternately, add all the herbs into a blender and blend until a fine puree. Add up to 1/4 cup water to help the herbs blend well.
This is a step that is more important if you have people who dislike the texture of minced herbs, but want the flavor, like kids.
Add optional ingredients such as cooked lamb, cranberries, etc, now if using.
Step 3 - Make sure leaves are drained. Working one at a time, spread a leaf on a cutting board. Trim off stem, if needed.
If a leaf is small or patchy, lay a second leaf on top. Scoop 1 packed tablespoon of the rice mixture into the center of the grape leaf. Fold bottom up and sides in, then roll up leaf, making a tight cylinder.
See this illustration? I added three cranberries to this one.
Step 4 - Line a pot with several layers of the smaller grape leaves. Transfer the dolmas, one by one, to the pot. Repeat with remaining leaves until no filling remains.
Arrange in a single layer in pot. You can layer leaves and more dolmas, but this makes the cooking time longer.
Step 5 - Add water and lemon juice to pot to cover dolmas. (Add water to completely cover, if needed.) Set a plate on top to keep dolmas submerged. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until grape leaves are soft and dolmas have puffed up, 28- 35 minutes. If you have stacked multiple layers, it can take up to 50 minutes.
Step 6 - Remove from heat and let dolmas cool in pot, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large plate, cover with plastic, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
Serve dolmas with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
All the links to Azure Standard are affiliate links, they help me support the blogging. When you start buying, I receive a small commission. If you haven't tried Azure Standard's organic and natural foods, give it a whirl. We have been ordering from them since the early 90s when they were a 'Mom and Pop Shop' at the local farmer's markets and have always been satisfied with the unbeatable quality. Check out their online natural food store and find out how it all works here!
Have you ever made dolmas?
Leave a comment, follow on Pinterest, and subscribe to the email list!
-Mrs. Beans for Lunch