Dolmadakia - stuffed grape leaves are one of the most iconic Greek foods. With lots of dill, mint, scallions, and tender rice, they are a delicacy that can not be missed.
Boil leaves for 2-3 minutes in salted water. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer in a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain leaves in a colander.Using a sharp knife remove the stalks and any thick nerves that may be on some of the leaves.
Jarred grape leaves in brine preparation
Take leaves out of the jar, put them in a colander, rinse them well with cold water and let them drain.
Stuff and roll the grape leaves
In a large bowl, mix the rice, scallions, dill, mint, fennel, and tomato (with its juices) with ½ cup olive oil, a generous pinch of sea salt, and some freshly ground pepper.
Line the bottom of a large pot with 3 layers of grape leaves.
Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of each leaf, then fold the bottom sides of the leaf over the filling. Make them overlap each other.Fold the left and right sides over, then roll tightly to make a roughly 2-inch by 1⁄2–inch cigar shape.
Place the roll, seam side down, in the lined pot. Continue with the remaining leaves and filling, placing them tightly together in the pot and continuing onto a second layer if necessary.
Add the remaining ½ cup of oil and just enough warm water -or broth to cover the leaves. Place a plate upside down over leaves to keep them from moving. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, cook until the rice and leaves are tender, about 45 minutes.
Remove the pot and let the dolmadakia cool.
Make the yogurt sauce
In a bowl, mix the yogurt with the chopped dill and mint and a tablespoon of olive oil.
Serve the dolmadakia at room temperature or chilled, drizzled with olive oil and alongside lemon wedges for squeezing and the Greek yogurt sauce for dipping or topping.
Notes
Naturally, you will lose some of the leaves due to tearing or holes that might be already on them. Don't discard them; use the broken leaves to line the pot. The lining will prevent scorching the dolmadakia while cooking.
You can first saute the scallions, fennel, and rice with olive oil and then mix it with the remaining ingredients. They will get fragrant and sweet when first sauteed for a few minutes.
Grate zucchini and a small eggplant and add it to the rice mixture for another Cretan variety of these dolmades. When in the season, you can also add a grated artichoke heart.
Do you have leftover rice mixture? Stuff some veggies, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers with the delicious mixture. After you take out the flesh from the veggies, add it to the rice. Next, you can bake the veggies with broth and olive oil in the oven. Check out this cooking method for gemista.
Want to make sure dolmadakia are fully cooked? After 45 minutes, uncover the pot and carefully lift the plate with the help of a fork. Take one dolma out with the fork, wait for it to cool, and try it. Is the rice cooked fully? If not, cover the rest of the dolmades with the plate and cook until the rice is soft and fully cooked. If needed, add a little hot water -or broth (don't overdo it with the water).
Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.