Dolmadakia (ντολμαδάκια, pronounced dol-mah-DAH-kyah) are Greek stuffed grape leaves: tender vine leaves rolled around rice, fresh herbs, and olive oil, then gently simmered until soft. The name means “little dolmades,” and this meatless version, also called dolmadakia gialantzi, is the Greek food with grape leaves you’ll find on every meze table, served at room temperature with lemon and yogurt.

My version is Cretan-style, with lots of dill, mint, spring onions, and fennel fronds for a sweet, herbal note. As a kid, and later as a teenager, I spent a lot of time sitting next to my aunts and my yiayia Chrysoula, rolling dolmadakia. This is the recipe I learned beside them.

If you love Dolmadakia, you will also love our Spanakorizo-Rice with Spinach, Gemista -Stuffed Tomatoes, or Stuffed Squash Blossoms!

Close-up of vegan dolmadakia with rice and herbs, served with lemon

Overview

What cooks say:

“Everyone loved this recipe, especially the kids, who never knew about grape leaves! I’m sure I am making this again!”

SORAYA S.

Why you will love dolmadakia

FLAVOR – It’s a beloved traditional Greek recipe, plus it’s delicious and healthy with simple ingredients.
EASE – Stuffed grape leaves look fussy and complicated to make, but are more straightforward than you might think. And homemade tastes a hundred times better than canned dolmadakia.
IT’S A FUN RECIPE – They will love it and make core memories, just like I did rolling dolmadakia with my aunts and yiayia Chrysoula.

Here is what you need for stuffed grape leaves

A tomato, fennel fronds, spring onions, grape leaves and rice in a yellow plate under the sun.

Grape leaves: In Greece, you find fresh grape leaves in the spring and summer, but in the US, you are most likely to find them jarred. Both work great. See recipe card for instructions on how to prep the leaves.
Spring onions, a tomato, various herbs, and rice. The herbs are the flavor here, so be generous.
Rice: I use Carolina long-grain white rice, which you’ll find in every supermarket. Any long-grain white rice works.
Fennel fronds. In Greece, they are called maratho. In Crete, they mostly use wild maratho, which is gathered from fields. Maratho is particularly tufted, with thin dense leaves. It has an intense aroma and a sweet and slightly bitter flavor. Here, we use about half a cup of finely chopped fennel fronds. The taste is mild and sweet, though without the intense aroma of the wild fennel.

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step

A few grape leaves in a pot filled with water.

Step 1: Prepare the grape leaves (see recipe card for instructions).

Spring onions, rice and a wooden spoon in a sauce pan.

Step 2: Saute the chopped spring onions and rice with one tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes.

Rice filling mixed with dill, mint, fennel fronds, tomato, and olive oil in a bowl

Step 3: Mix the rice, spring onions, dill, fennel, mint, and tomato with ½ cup olive oil—season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Step 4: Fold the dolmadakia(see our step-by-step guide below).

Uncooked dolmadakia placed seam side down on a bed of grape leaves in a pot

Step 5: Line the bottom of a large pot with three layers of grape leaves. Place each roll seam side down.

Rolled grape leaves packed tightly in layers in a pot before cooking

Step 6: Continue with the remaining stuffed leaves, placing them tightly together in the pot. Do a second layer if necessary.

A plate upside-down covering dolmadakia in a pot.

Step 7: Add the remaining ½ cup of oil and enough warm water or broth to cover the leaves. Place a plate upside down over the leaves to keep them from moving.

Cooked Greek dolmadakia in the pot after simmering

Step 8: Bring to a simmer over medium heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook until the rice and leaves are tender, 45–60 minutes. Start checking at 45 minutes.

How to fold a dolmadaki

Dolmadakia rice mixture in the center of a grape leaf on a wooden surface.

Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of a leaf.

Folding the bottom of the grape leaf over the rice filling

Fold the bottom sides of the leaf over the filling. Make them overlap each other.

Folding the left side of the grape leaf over the filling

Fold the left…

Folding the right side of the grape leaf over the filling

and the right sides over.

Rolling the grape leaf tightly into a dolmadaki

Roll tightly…

A finished dolmadaki, rolled into a small cigar shape.

to make a roughly 2-inch by half an inch cigar shape

A plate with dolmadakia, and a bowl of yogurt sauce. Fresh dill leaves at the from, a cloth napkin and utensils at the back.

Side dishes to try with dolmadakia

Kalitsounia-hand pies – These savory hand pies from Crete are filled with cheese or herbs and would complement the flavors of Greek stuffed grape leaves nicely.
Boureki-potatoes and zucchini pie– The delicious savory pie with potatoes and zucchini is a summertime staple dish in Crete but can easily be enjoyed year-round.
Eggplant fritters – These flavorful fritters have a natural sweetness and would add some variety to the meal.
Tzatziki yogurt dip – Another classic in Mediterranean cuisine, the garlicky yogurt dip would be a tasty accompaniment to dolmadakia.
Lemon Roasted Potatoes – Roasted potatoes with lemon and herbs would add brightness and a nice contrast to the dolmadakia.

FAQ

Dolmadakia vs. dolmades: what’s the difference?
Both are Greek stuffed grape leaves. Dolmadakia (“little dolmades”) are small, meatless rolls filled with rice and herbs, served at room temperature or chilled with yogurt and lemon. This version is also called dolmadakia gialantzi, from the Turkish yalancı, “fake,” because there’s no meat. Dolmades usually means the larger version with ground meat, rice, and herbs, served warm with avgolemono sauce. In Crete, cooks sometimes add grated eggplant, zucchini, or artichoke to the vegan filling.

Both, in a way. Wrapping food in leaves goes back to ancient Greece, where a dish called thrion was made with fig leaves wrapped around a filling. The word dolma is Turkish, and grape leaves stuffed with rice spread widely during the Ottoman period, when Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern kitchens influenced each other for centuries. Today, stuffed grape leaves are made from the Balkans to the Caucasus and the Middle East, and every region has its own version. Stuffed vegetables, gemista, come from the same tradition.

Dolmadakia means little dolmades.
The word dolma (dolmades in plural) is of Turkish origin from the word dolmak (to fill). Middle Eastern cuisines have been using stuffed grape leaves for centuries.

They can be eaten as a side dish, an appetizer, or a main meal. Dolmadakia filled with rice are best at room temperature or chilled. Drizzled with olive oil and served alongside lemon wedges for squeezing. Dip or top them with Greek yogurt for extra flavor.

Fresh grape leaves can be more tender and flavorful than jarred leaves, you can find them in farmers’ markets and grocery stores in the late spring/summer. However, when out of season, leaves preserved in glass jars are a great substitute. Jarred grape leaves are available at most grocery stores and any Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern market. You can also find them online.

Let them cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. They keep for 3 to 4 days and taste even better on day two. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving. You can freeze them for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.

Taste and season the filling before you roll; it should taste a little bolder than you think, since the rice absorbs a lot. Be generous with the dill and mint, don’t skip sautéing the spring onions and rice, and finish with plenty of lemon and good olive oil at the table.