Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

In my family, homemade dolmas are sacred. I have the fondest memories of my grandmother making these from scratch out of the leaves from the grapevine in my grandparent’s back yard. These stuffed grape leaves are essential in any mediterranean kitchen. I made this variation with brown rice, however, white rice works just as well.

Dolmas (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

2 hours 30 mins

 

Author: Chef Eli

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked brown (or white) rice
• ½ cup currants
• ½ cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ medium onion chopped
• ⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 16 oz jar of grape leaves in brine
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• Juice of 3 large lemons
• 2½ cup water
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. In a small pot, bring one cup of brown rice and two cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes until done.
2. In a small sauté pan, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Add onions, currants, toasted pine nuts, cinnamon, and cumin to the cooked rice and stir. Set aside.
3. Pour ⅓ cup of EVOO into large Dutch oven pot.
4. Remove grape leaves from brine and pat off with paper towels. Lay one leaf flat on a cutting board. Scoop approximately one tablespoon of rice mixture onto one edge of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll into burrito shape. Each leaf is a little bit different and you will have to edit according to individual shape. Try to roll each dolma as tight as possible so they're less likely to open while cooking. Place dolmas in Dutch oven, and repeat process until you run out of ingredients. The dolmas should be packed close to each other in the pot. If you need to, you can stack the dolmas in multiple layers.
5. Once you are finished rolling and placing the dolmas in the pot, add lemon juice (no seeds), ½ cup of water, and salt. Cover pot and cook on stove for 1.5 hours on low heat allowing the dolmas to steam.
6. Serve hot or cold. Enjoy!

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